KATHMANDU, Oct 31: Amid growing rift between the top leaders within the party over some of the decisions taken by Prime Minister K P Oli, Chairman of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal has proposed holding the party's Secretariat meeting at the earliest to resolve the disputes seen in the party in recent days.

Chairman Dahal made the proposal to the Secretariat meeting during one and one meeting held with Prime Minister K P Oli, who is also the party's co-chairman, at the prime minister's official residence in Baluwatar on Saturday. Dahal had earlier declined to hold a meeting with Oli despite repeated requests as he was miffed with the prime minister’s 'unilateral' decisions on various issues including the appointment of ambassadors and new ministers in the cabinet. 

Sources close to Chairman Dahal said the two leaders held discussions on all issues of disputes seen in the party during the meeting. "Chairman Dahal has proposed settling all these issues through the Secretariat meeting. He has clearly said that the Secretariat meeting is better than the one and one meeting between them to resolve the disputes seen in the party in recent days," said a leader close to Dahal. 

Prime Minister Oli, however, has not given any words yet on Dahal's proposal. The request of Dahal comes days after the party's spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha also demanded a Secretariat meeting to hold discussions on the issues of disputes seen in the party.

Chairman Dahal and Prime Minister Oli are at odds lately on issues related to the appointment of ambassadors, new ministers in the cabinet, and the murder of NCP district-level leader Mahesh Chaurasiya in Parsa. Dahal has also alleged that Prime Minister Oli had incited a section of NCP lawmakers to move a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister of Karnali Province Mahendra Bahadur Shahi earlier this month.

Among other things, Prime Minister Oli has courted serious criticisms within the party and beyond for holding a meeting with the Indian spy agency chief in Baluwatar. Sources said the meeting between Dahal and Oli on Saturday dwelled on all these issues including the remaining tasks of party unification and the efforts made by the government to COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman Dahal had earlier snubbed the requests of Prime Minister Oli to hold a meeting to resolve the disputes in the party. He had been avoiding the meeting for the past 11 days on different excuses. Oli had then sent a number of his close aides to appease Dahal and hold the meeting. 

Although Dahal's Secretariat said that he was in self-isolation after a few people he met recently tested positive for the COVID-19, sources said Dahal had deliberately avoided meeting with Oli as he is heavily dissatisfied with his working style. Saturday’s meeting between Oli and Dahal took place after senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal convinced Dahal to hold a meeting to resolve the differences. Oli had earlier held one and one meeting with leader Nepal to resolve the differences seen within the party.

 
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