KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 1

Majority members' will prevailed today in the Secretariat meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to agree to discuss the proposal of party Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, although the PM wanted Dahal to withdraw his proposal.

Oli found himself in minority in the nine-member Secretariat when he said Dahal should withdraw his 19-page proposal, with only party General Secretary Bishnu Prasad Paudel backing the PM.

A Secretariat member told THT that Oli was not in favour of discussing the documents registered in the Secretariat including Dahal’s proposal and Oli’s 38- page rebuttal. Oli demanded that Dahal withdraw his proposal and apologise for ‘false’ accusations made against him in his proposal, but his demand was rejected by seven members, forcing a discussion on both the documents.

NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha told mediapersons outside Oli’s residence in Baluwatar that Oli and Dahal put forth their views in the meeting.

According to sources, Dahal told Oli that he was arrogant and had not realised his mistakes. “You are acting like you are the state,” Dahal told Oli.

In his proposal submitted to the party Secretariat a few days ago, Dahal had accused Oli of defying party norms and values, disobeying party bodies’ decisions and making appointments in constitutional bodies without consulting top leaders. Oli countered Dahal’s allegations in his rebuttal, accusing Dahal of showing lust for power, adopting double standards vis-à-vis Millennium Challenge Corporation agreement signed with the United States and promoting factionalism in the party.

Shrestha said the Secretariat was in favour of formal and informal dialogue to resolve the crisis in the party. “We will identify causes of the problems facing the party and try to resolve them in a manner that will protect party unity,” he said. He said he was hopeful that talks would help defuse tension in the party.

Asked if the Secretariat would prepare a common proposal, Shrestha said they had not reached the stage where they could think of a joint proposal.

NCP Standing Committee member Asta Laxmi Shakya said the PM was free to put forth his views on Dahal’s document, but he could not stall debate on the documents in the Secretariat.

“Now the PM is telling party leaders to return to September 11 decisions of the Standing Committee. Had he obeyed those decisions, the party would not have been witnessing this crisis,” she said. The Standing Committee had directed the PM to stop taking unilateral decisions.

The next Standing Committee has been scheduled for Thursday.

The Secretariat meeting will continue tomorrow.