Kathmandu, July 2

With the major coalition partner CPN-Maoist Centre raising grave concern about its performance, the fate of UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli-led government seems to be hanging in balance for the second time.

Today’s meeting of the party’s extended central office at Paris Danda decided to entrust Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to take the initiative to form a national consensus government.

Leaders, including Dahal, slammed Oli, accusing him of leading the peace process in the opposite direction.

“Oli failed to forge national consensus, disregarded the nine-point and the gentlemen’s agreement, did not resolve issues of the agitating Madhesi and Janajatis and could not work for earthquake victims,” a leader quoted Dahal as saying at the meeting.

Today’s meeting decided to entrust Dahal the task of forming a national consensus government under the CPN-MC’s leadership, said Mani Thapa.

Thapa also said all the members of the extended central office supported Dahal. The issue will be presented at the politburo meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

During today’s meeting, Home Minister Shakti Basnet supported Dahal, but he told the meeting that the new coalition should guarantee that the party’s concerns will be addressed at all costs.

Sources claimed that Dahal told the meeting that Oli had told the Chinese delegation that he had not made any gentlemen’s agreement with the CPN-MC to support the party in leading the national consensus government.

Dahal also said Oli snubbed the nine-point agreement and gentlemen’s agreement even though both were already in the public domain and thus CPN-MC had lost moral ground to continue in government.

The party, however, decided to remind UML leaders involved in drafting the gentlemen’s agreement by holding a meeting with CPN-MC leaders.

Leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the CPN-MC’s focus was not a change of guard, but the party’s four-point agenda — completing the peace process; holding all three elections after bringing the agitating parties on board; managing and expediting delayed reconstruction works and leading the nation towards prosperity by safeguarding national independence.

“The party has decided to form a national consensus government to implement its four major agendas,” Shrestha said, adding that Chairman Dahal has been entrusted to take the initiative for the same.