Senior leader of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) and former prime minister (PM) Madhav Kumar Nepal, who slammed the government in the parliament on Thursday like an opposition leader, has called a meeting of standing committee members of his faction on Friday.
Standing committee member Mani Thapa confirmed with Setopati that Nepal has invited him for tea in the afternoon without specifying the topic of discussion. "I have heard he has invited all standing committee members. I have been invited at three in the afternoon," Thapa said.
A standing committee member close to Nepal told Setopati that discussion will focus on the current delay in convening standing committee meeting and the decision-making process of the party. "It cannot be called a meeting. It can be called a high tea as consultation may send another message," the member stated. "But it is definitely not a high tea to exchange greetings for the upcoming Dashain festival."
The meeting called by the third-ranked leader in the party when both the chairman, PM KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, are outside the country is meaningful. Nobody has been delegated the responsibility of the party even when both the chairmen are outside the country.
Nepal is unhappy that Oli and Dahal did not consult him while appointing provincial chairmen and chiefs. A standing committee member told Setopati that he will express his displeasure with the members.
The secretariat meeting of the party had appointed provincial chiefs and chairmen on September 21 when Nepal was in Ghana to attend a conference. Nepal is miffed that Oli did not keep his word of not taking any decision while he was abroad, according to that leader.
"The secretariat does not take decision. Standing committee meeting should take decision on the proposals prepared by the secretariat. The standing committee with executive authority is being sidelined," the leader elaborated.
The standing committee has met only once on July 5 after party unification on May 17. That meeting only discussed about regulations.
The standing committee member said Nepal is irate stating that Oli and Dahal are working in guerilla style. "Does agreement between Oli and Dahal alone suffice?" the leader asked. "We have been told that the appointments for provinces were made following pressure by Ishwore Pokahrel and Jhala Nath Khanal."
Secretariat member Narayan Kaji Shrestha is also not happy with the provincial appointments and has already expressed displeasure about the procedure.