Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba had a one-on-one meeting with CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli at Baluwatar Tuesday evening.
Oli reached Baluwatar with Senior Vice-chairman Ishwar Pokharel, Vice-chairman Bishnu Paudel and Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Rimal while Nepali Congress (NC) Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gynanedra Bahadur Karki and NC leader Minendra Rijal were also present in Baluwatar.
Setopati has learnt that PM Deuba and Oli had a one-on-one meeting for half an hour sending other leaders outside the room after mundane talks for some time.
Leaders of both the parties then agreed to not reveal the one-on-one meeting and give bland comments to the media about Deuba seeking UML's support for ratification of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact and Oli reiterating the old stand demanding Speaker Agni Spakota should either implement the party's decision to expel 14 lawmakers of the then Khanal-Nepal faction of the party by publishing a notice to that regard or resign over not implementing that decision.
There are speculations that PM Deuba and Oli reached the final deal Tuesday evening and Deuba sent his confidant Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand to Balkot Wednesday morning to work on the finer details.
But some argue that the two top leaders would have briefed their lieutenants about the deal had they reached one. They apparently did not give any reaction to the other leaders and the others also did not ask the two anything.
An NC leader claimed with Setopati that Deuba did not reach the final deal with Oli over ratifying the MCC Compact or moving forward with UML's support. "Deuba doesn't have such habit of explicitly giving his words to anyone. He does not step back after giving words," the leader pointed. "How would he give his words about an issue he has yet to reach final conclusion on?"
The leader argued that Deuba has yet to reach final deal with Oli and opined that the chances of saving the ruling coalition have not ended.
Even Deuba's confidants don't know whether he has reached any final decision nor can they speculate about the decision he will take. "I don't feel situation has been created to reach final decision," the leader stressed.
The House meeting on Thursday is set to discuss the MCC Compact that has been tabled for ratification. Some NC leaders say that Deuba will reach final agreement to ratify the MCC Compact either within the ruling coalition or with UML before the meeting. Other NC leaders, however, point that voting may be held a few days later and the final deal can be reached in the intervening period.
The grand old party is unanimous about ratifying the MCC Compact but divided over whether to ratify it through agreement within the ruling coalition or move forward with UML without waiting for the coalition for ratification.
