The secretariat meeting of ruling CPN called for Sunday afternoon to finalize the heads of the party's school department and sister organizations has been postponed for Monday.
CPN Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha tweeted that the meeting has been postponed after Prime Minister (PM) and Chairman KP Sharma Oli informed that he is unwell.
"We have been informed that the meeting has been postponed as Baluwatar said PM is ill and homework between the two chairmen has not been completed," a secretariat member told Setopati.
PM Oli attended a program at Soaltee Crowne Plaza Sunday morning before sending the information about his health problem. He also held discussion with another chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal before informing the secretariat about his health.
PM Oli is understood to have postponed the secretariat meeting after failing to reach agreement with Dahal about head of the school department.
The leaders have already agreed on heads of 32 out of the 33 party departments but they have yet to decide whether the school department should be headed by leaders from erstwhile CPN-UML or CPN (Maoist Center).
Secretariat meeting was postponed twice earlier after two chairmen failed to agree on leadership of the department.
Oli is adamant that secretariat member Ishwore Pokharel should lead the school department while Dahal insists that another secretariat member Narayan Kaji Shrestha should get the department.
Former Maoist leaders vehemently oppose appointment of Pokharel saying a person who has been lobbying to make people's multiparty democracy the united party's guiding principle should not be made chief of the school department but former UML leaders are not unanimous on Pokharel.
Senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal, who is also a member of the nine-strong secretariat, has already stated that he will accept the responsibility if the party decides to hand over the department to him despite already agreeing to head the policy and academy department.
There were separate meetings between the two chairmen, the former UML leaders and the former Maoist leaders in the past week to discuss about the school department.
The leaders are trying to forge consensus on either Pokharel or Shrestha. The party may look for another leader from the secretariat to head the department or keep it with the chairmen if they fail to do so.
A secretariat source claimed with Setopati that there is very little chance of the department leadership going to leaders outside the secretariat.
Oli was head of the department in erstwhile UML and Shrestha in the Maoist Center.
