Indications are the dispute persisting between the two factions is likely to get worse as a proposal developed by various senior leaders including Ram Chandra Paudel, Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Arjun Narsingh KC on behalf of the party´s president, Sushil Koirala, for a bringing about a ´quiet settlement´ has failed to impress the rival faction.[break]
The Deuba faction, after the proposal from the establishment faction reached them on Tuesday, called a joint meeting of the party´s CWC members and parliamentary party members for January 31 and a meeting of district committee presidents aligned to the Deuba faction for February 15, to exert pressure on the party establishment to accept a ´package agreement´ on all appointments.
The establishment faction had proposed to the Deuba faction to name the chiefs of Nepal Tarun Dal and Nepal Women´s Association, along with proportionate representation from the Deuba faction in all appointments to the party´s 32 various departments and its work performance committee.
However, the proposal worked out by senior leaders close to Koirala had suggested putting on hold the formation of the party´s parliamentary board and the pending nomination of five members to the party´s CWC.
The proposal hardly impressed the Deuba faction, which has remained seriously dissatisfied with the establishment faction for a long time.
"Since the establishment faction has not lived up to promises made in the past, we have sought a package deal on all appointments to be made in the party´s organization," said a senior leader close to the Deuba faction."We won´t compromise unless there is a ´package deal´ on all these appointments," the senior leader said.
The Deuba faction has demanded at least four of the five remaining CWC memberships including one joint general secretary and the immediate formation of the party´s parliamentary board, which is responsible for picking party candidates for national general elections and appointing the party´s zonal chiefs.
Koirala has picked only two from the rival faction-- Deuba and Bimalendra Nidhi--for nominated CWC members.
All CWC members close to Deuba have been snubbing the CWC meeting ever since Deuba resigned as a CWC member, citing strong dissatisfaction over Koirala´s move to dissolve various sister organizations of the party in September, 2011. Party President Koirala and Deuba have reached the point of publicly finger-pointing each other for the growing rift in the grand old party.
Party insiders say the Deuba faction´s move to snub the ´modest proposal´ from the Koirala faction and call a meeting of its own purportedly to exert pressure on Koirala for a ´package deal´ is likely to further worsen the row.
"The Deuba faction seems to have concluded that they can make the establishment faction bow further to its demands. But this move may put Koirala under pressure from his aides to take unilateral decisions about the sister organizations," said a NC leader on condition of anonymity.
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