Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 1:

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) is likely to issue a “strong appeal” to its leaders and cadres not to join the faction led by Surya Bahadur Thapa during the central working committee meet, which begins at the party office in Kupondole tomorrow.

Pointing at Thapa and the leaders of his breakaway faction, RPP leader Khem Raj Pandit said, “The party cannot tolerate any conspiracies against it.” “Action would be taken against those leaders who are trying to disrupt the party’s organisational structure.” The CWC meet will hold discussions on the possibility of forging a unity with the faction.

“Ex-prime minister and senior party leader Lokendra Bahadur Chand would brief the party on his efforts towards forging a unity,” RPP spokesperson Roshan Karki said. The central council meeting of the party, which was held in Kathmandu, had given Chand the responsibility to coordinate unity efforts.

In a dramatic twist, RPP vice-chairman Padma Sundar Lawati said he would boycott the meet. He accused the party leadership of not furnishing him with agendas and said that attending the meet without any “concrete agenda” would be meaningless.

Slamming the party leadership for failing to prepare agendas for the meet and for the “delay in informing” the CWC members about the meet, he said CWC members should have been informed of the meet at least a week back. “I was informed of the meet at the eleventh hour,” he said, adding that he was not furnished with agendas despite requests.