The faction of CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has said the postponement of standing committee meeting by another Chairman KP Sharma Oli Tuesday is against the party statute.
Standing committee members of the Dahal-Nepal faction held a meeting after Oli unilaterally postponed the meeting earlier on the day. "Today's meeting was continuation of the meeting scheduled earlier. Comrade KP Oli stopping the meeting violated the party statute and was inappropriate," CPN Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said after the meeting. "The meeting did not discuss any agenda and decided to hand over the responsibility for taking initiative to hold the next meeting in consensus."
Shrestha revealed that they continued the meeting as Oli did not attend the meeting despite Dahal and senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal meeting Oli and requesting him to attend it.
He said the meeting has concluded to move forward in a patient and wise manner to end the crisis in party unity. "The two chairmen will talk to resolve the current problem through consensus as far as possible. We will also discuss with chairmen and other comrades," he stated. "We are for protecting party unity at any cost. We don't want to take hasty decisions."
He claimed that 31 standing committee members including two invited members participated in Tuesday's meeting. The standing committee is 44-strong.
Resuming the meeting after he and Khanal went to meet Oli, Dahal urged everyone to not get agitated. "Let's continue the efforts for dialogue. Let's not get excited. Let's not harm party unity," a party source quoted Dahal as saying. "Let's not call this meeting standing committee meeting, and call it a meeting of the majority of standing committee members."
The Oli faction, meanwhile, claimed that the meeting was not attended by the majority of standing committee members and called it a gathering like those being held at Dahal's residence in Khumaltar in recent times.
Standing committee member Bhim Rawal during the meeting said the party has focused on posts abandoning ideology and principles. He accused Dahal and Nepal of bargaining with Oli for posts. "You have started to count our heads and bargain for posts. Everything apart from posts have been made insignificant. It will be difficult for us to always support you if you continue in this manner," Rawal fumed.
Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam said that the problem should be resolved in accordance to the six-point advice to the warring chairmen he issued earlier.
Gautam proposed that KP Sharma Oli should serve the full term as PM, Oli should also remain chairman until the next general convention, and the general convention should be held in consensus. The suggestion that largely favors Oli proposes Dahal should remain chairman with all the executive rights until the general convention.
