Kathmandu, July 18

Senior Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader Pashupati Shamsher Rana was absent from the party’s Central Working Committee meeting today.

Rana was expressing dissatisfaction with the activities and steps taken by party Chairman Kamal Thapa.

Rana has accused Thapa of misusing the chairman’s post and running the party without consulting other leaders. Another veteran RPP leader and former prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, and Balaram Gharti Magar, Nawaraj Subedi and Hari Bahadur Basnet  were also absent.

“Thapa does not take any concrete step to end the internal dispute in the party,” an RPP central leader said. He also said Rana would not attend tomorrow’s meeting.

‘’But things are improving,’’ a central member close to Thapa told The Himalayan Times. The member also claimed that yesterday’s meeting between Thapa and Rana was fruitful and  it would address the dissatisfaction in the party.

Rana has been demanding formation of a policy-direction committee, which will guide the party’s decision-making process on the basis of consensus.