Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli has said there is no chance of immediately opening the border with India.
Briefing CPN lawmakers at Baluwatar, Oli said the country will keep the borders shut to prevent spread of COVID-19. "There is no way the border points with India will be opened," CPN lawmaker Niru Pal quoted Oli as saying. "Domestic lockdown may also be extended."
The last extension of lockdown will end on April 27.
CPN Chairman Oli and fellow Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal have started jointly briefing the party lawmakers about the recent developments.
The two chairmen are calling the federal lawmakers from every province at different times, according to Oli's press advisor Surya Thapa.
They first started with the federal lawmakers from the Far West province followed by those from Province 1. They are scheduled to brief lawmakers throughout the day.
The two chairmen are jointly briefing the party lawmakers to give a sense of unity after Prime Minister (PM) Oli brought an ordinance on Monday making it easier for him to split ruling CPN if needed suspecting that he may be removed.
Oli told the lawmakers that bringing ordinance is a regular process.
"PM said the ordinances have been brought as a regular process and not by violating norms," Pal told Setopati. "He said having 40 percent or not will not make any difference in splitting of parties."
She revealed that Dahal arrived only toward the end of the interaction with lawmakers from the Far West when Oli had already briefed about the ordinances. "PM relayed to Dahal the gist of what he briefed in Dahal's absence after the latter arrived. Dahal didn't say anything and simply smiled. It seemed as if he concurred with PM."
Deputy parliamentary party leader Subas Chandra Nembang and chief whip Dev Gurung were also present during the briefing.
The government had brought ordinances about splitting party and majority decision in the Constitutional Council in Monday.
Oli told the lawmakers that the ordinance about council was brought as the main opposition party stopped constitutional appointments demanding share of spoils in all the appointments.
Some of the lawmakers asked why the ordinances were authenticated immediately by President Bidya Devi Bhandari. Oli argued that there is no question of immediate or delayed authentication when the government sends an ordinance implying that the president has to authenticate whatever the government sends.
Standing committee member and lawmaker Bhim Rawal, who has been a vocal critic of Oli and his government, asked for time to discuss some ideological and policy issues but Oli refused saying this is not the time for such things.
The lawmakers from Far West also raised questions about bringing the Nepalis stranded across the Mahakali river in India. PM Oli replied that the government has also been thinking about that.
The Cabinet meeting at Baluwatar Monday had passed an ordinance allowing splitting of a party with support of 40 percent in either the parliamentary party or the central committee. The act about political parties requires support of 40 percent in both the parliamentary party and the central committee to split any political party.
The ordinance was brought as differences between the two chairmen of ruling CPN have been exacerbating in recent times. There have been rumors that preparations are on to replace PM Oli with senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, and handing over the party responsibilities to executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The differences between Chairman Oli and the faction of Dahal and Nepal intensified on the issue of speaker election and taking Bam Dev Gautam to the National Assembly.
The faction of Dahal and Nepal has clear majority in the secretariat, standing committee, central committee and parliamentary party. Oli will have support of over 40 percent only in the parliamentary party.
The ordinance has been brought to pave the way for Oli to split ruling CPN with support of 40 percent in the parliamentary party if Dahal and Nepal decide to remove him.
Oli also brought another ordinance about majority decision in the Constitutional Council on Monday. The other ordinance states that the Constitutional Council can take decisions on the basis of majority. The six-strong council currently only has five members in lack of election for deputy speaker. The amendment means that the council can take decisions with support of three and even in absence of the main opposition leader and Speaker Agni Sapkota who is in Dahal faction.
It is understood that Oli has brought this ordinance to appoint his men in the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to ensure that he can threaten to lodge corruption case against the opponents both within the party and outside.
