KATHMANDU, JANUARY 25
The faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has announced a 'massive' mass meeting to be held in Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu, on February 5.
The Oli faction announced the protest following regular protest programmes organised by the Dahal-Nepal faction of the party against dissolution of the House of Representatives by PM Oli.
Oli had, on December 20, recommended House dissolution which was approved by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari along with announcement of mid-term elections on April 30 and May 10 within hours.
The Dahal-Nepal faction has been protesting against the PM's move calling it 'unconstitutional' and 'authoritative' ever since.
As the agitating Dahal-Nepal faction has made public various mass protest programmes, the Oli faction today announced the date for mass meeting at a press meet. The faction has claimed that they some 200,000 people will join the mass meet.
At the press meet, the Oliled faction also decided to form a 1,111-member committee under the chairmanship of Krishna Gopal Shrestha for the mass assembly.
Speaking at the press meet, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwor Pokharel said that the mass meeting would urge people to prepare for a fresh mandate to end anarchism and ensure political stability. He further said party unity was still possible if the Dahal-Nepal faction was ready for election and withdrew the November 13 no-trust motion filed against Oli.
Similarly, Shrestha said that they would hold a demonstration without obstructing traffic movement in the city. Earlier, the Dahal-Nepal faction's mass protest in the capital had drawn flak for inconveniencing people.
"We will mobilise volunteers to support the traffic police to ensure smooth traffic movement in the city on the day of the mass meet," Shrestha said.
Likewise, NCP leader Ananda Prasad Pokharel informed that volunteers would manage the waste after the programme.
Health volunteers, as well as special mobile health teams will be on standby during the mass meeting, said the organisers.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 26, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
