Dahal is flying to Kunming to attend a function organized by International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), according to his aide Chudamani Khadka. Dahal is scheduled to hold meetings with senior CPC leaders during his stay in China and discuss Nepal's ongoing constitution drafting process and other issues.
According to Yuvraj Chaulagain, a member of the international department of UCPN (Maoist), Dahal is scheduled to hold a meeting with Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao, who is also scheduled to attend the function. Chinese leadership has been urging Nepal's political parties to work together to bring a new statute on time.
Dahal's is visiting China shortly after his party's senior leader Baburam Bhattarai made a visit to India, courting controversy back home. Former Prime Minister and UML senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal, who is considered close to China, had also paid a 'secret' visit to China last week along with Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Dipak Amatya.
Dahal's visit comes at a time when the opposition alliance led by him has announced a fresh series of protest. Although the Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairman Subas Nembang has given the deadline of March 25 to forge consensus, Dahal's visit is likely to seriously affect ongoing negotiations among parties. Dahal is scheduled to fly back home only on March 27.
The Maoist-led alliance has been demanding that the new statute be promulgated only through consensus among all major parties. The CA proceedings were put off on February 12 at the request of the agitating Maoist-led alliance.
Dahal is being accompanied by his spouse Sita and the party's general secretary Krishna Bahadur Mahara. Although the party's vice president Narayan Kaji Shrestha heads the international department of the party, Dahal, according to sources, has kept him in the dark regarding the visit. Shrestha has been speaking against the planned general strike by the opposition alliance led by Dahal. Bhattarai had also chosen not to take Shrestha along with him during his visit to India.
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