Immediately after arriving in Kathmandu from his shortened China visit, CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal held parleys with party leaders, president Dr Ram Baran Yadav and had talks with Maoist leaders to discuss the ways to settle the row over government action against army chief Rookmangud Katawal.
During his meeting with the President, Khanal said he would try for making consensus on the issue but he seemed in favor of asking Katawal to quit within a month to pave the way for Lt Gen Kul Bahadur Khadka’s ascent to top military position.
During his meeting with party leaders, Khanal was suggested to find a point agreeable to the army as well as to the Maoists. The “middle-point” could be “graceful exit of Katawal” or withdrawal of the action against Katawal for the cost of his public statement respecting civilian control over army.
The UML leaders suggested Khanal to adopt a middle path – between the Maoist stance to sack the army chief and Nepali Congress’ policy that seeking of clarifications from the army chief was a plain wrong move. “We urged Khanal to give a way out to the controversy by adopting a balanced policy,” said party’s central committee member Jagannath Khatiwada. The idea of finding a “respectful exit” to Katawal was discussed in Thursday’s meeting as well, according to Khatiwada.
In his meeting with Dahal, senior UML leader Madhav Nepal suggested the prime minister to withdraw the action against Katawal and find a middle-path. Nepal was reported to have told Dahal that UML was not consulted before the action was initiated. But Dahal said he had taken consent of party Chairman Khanal and General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel.
Dahal claimed with Nepal that withdrawal of the action would give an impression among the people and party cadres that the government does not control over national army.
After coming under mounting pressure from home and abroad, Dahal had handed over the ball to ruling ally, CPN-UML, to decide whether or not to take further action against the army chief. All the efforts of the Maoist leaders from Wednesday evening were focused on convincing the UML leaders to stand by the government action.
Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai met with UML leader KP Oli, and Dahal met with Madhav Nepal, on top of several phone conversations between top leaders of the two ruling parties.
Khanal has called an informal meeting of central committee members available in the capital on Friday to discuss the issue. Its standing committee will meet in the afternoon to finalize the party’s stance. A clear division has surfaced in the party over the issue. Khanal’s supporters are in favor of taking further action against Katawal, while another faction led by Oli is dead against the idea.
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