KATHMANDU, JANUARY 3

The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal today held its Standing Committee meeting and decided to coordinate with all the political parties to explore the possibility of a joint protest against the dissolution of the House of Representatives.

Standing Committee member Lilamani Pokharel said the meeting discussed ways to make the party’s protest against the dissolution of the HoR effective by mobilising all party units. He said Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was planning to prolong his stay at the helm by imposing emergency in the country and his party wanted to foil his move.

Pokharel said his party wanted to launch a joint protest with the NC and Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal, but the NC was confused as it wanted to prepare for election thinking they would be held on the stipulated dates.

“We want to intensify protest to force the government to reverse its decision to dissolve the Lower House because this move is not only an unconstitutional step but it also threatens to sabotage the federal democratic republican constitution that was framed as a result of great sacrifices by Nepalis,” he added.

Dahal said NCP would be run on the basis of party statute, rules, and norms.

NCP (Dahal-Nepal) Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the Standing Committee also formed a task force under party Co-chair Nepal with a view to completing the remaining tasks of party unification. The Standing Committee is likely to name office bearers of different tiers of the party’s chapters.