KATHMANDU: After much hue and cry over the Prime Minister’s absence from the High Level Political Mechanism, a meeting between Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala and UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal on Tuesday morning at Koirala’s residence in Maharajgunj decided to induct him into the mechanism as a new member.

The decision comes a day after Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a member of the mechanism, refused to include him as a new member in the mechanism while interacting with media personnel at Dhangadi Airport on Tuesday.

The mechanism has come under severe criticism even before it commences its tasks as influential leaders like KP Sharma Oli, UML and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, UCPN-Maoist, questioned its legacy and modalities. Oli on Tuesday even claimed that it was formed for the personal benefits of the leaders as he explained that it was formed without holding broad discussions amongst the parties.

Meanwhile, the mechanism has been publicised as a pill to heal the nation’s political ills by many leaders who are in favour of the mechanism. Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar was of the opinion that the PM should be included in the mechanism to make it more reliable.

Girija Prasad Koirala chairs the mechanism with Khanal and Dahal as the members.