KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 5

Co-chair of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal today met Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and objected to his remarks — that he would not resign as PM — as well as his instruction to leaders of NCP Province 1 committee to intensify debate in favour of people’s multi-party democracy championed by the erstwhile CPN-UML.

A leader close to Dahal told THT that Dahal told Oli the PM’s instruction on building environment for people’s multi-party democracy was against the spirit of party unity.

NCP leaders are divided about what should be the party’s ideology after the party’s General Convention, with the Oli camp time and again vouching for people’s multi-party democracy.

Erstwhile CPN-Maoist Centre, which was led by Dahal before its merger with the CPN-UML, had championed the cause of people’s democracy of the 21st century.

Some leaders of the ruling party are saying that a new ideology could be developed by synthesising people’s multi-party democracy and people’s democracy of the 21st century.

Dahal also urged the PM to call a meeting of either the party Secretariat or the Standing Committee to discuss current political issues, but the PM refused to do so.

The Dahal faction is miffed at the PM for taking unilateral decisions on reshuffling the Cabinet and making appointments in the constitutional body.

The rival faction has also objected to Oli’s recent meeting with India’s Research and Analysis Wing Chief Samant Kumar Goel.

The Dahal faction says the government is bound to follow the party’s decisions and policies and wants the PM to consult party leaders before taking any vital decisions related to government policies.