NCP is already split; only formal announcement is due: PM Oli

Published On: November 6, 2020 09:41 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

NCP Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Right) and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal exiting from the informal secretariat meeting of the party on Friday afternoon. Photo: Keshab Thoker

KATHMANDU, Nov 6: Prime Minister K P Oli has said that the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) is already reached the point of split and that only a formal announcement is due now, according to a top NCP leader.

During a meeting with the party's Executive Chairman Dahal on Thursday, Prime Minister Oli had warned that any decisions on the part of Chairman Dahal to unilaterally call the party's Secretariat or the Standing committee meeting could mark the split of the party.

Chairman Dahal had briefed the informal Secretariat meeting held on Friday at the NCP's headquarter in Dhumbarahi about his meeting with Prime Minister Oli on Thursday. "The party has already split. Only a formal announcement is due now. Do whatever you can do. I will also do what I can do within my capacity," Dahal quoted Prime Minister Oli as threatening him.

According to Chairman Dahal, Prime Minister Oli had told him that they had already reached the stage of muscle-flexing and announce the victory of the one winning in the show of their strength. "You have held a separate meeting of your faction within the party. I will also hold meetings of my faction," Dahal quoted Oli as giving a veiled threat to split the party.

In response, Chairman Dahal had suggested holding meetings of the party committees and settling the differences seen within the party, according to NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha, who is also a Secretariat member of the party.

Prime Minister Oli had warned Dahal that he would announce the split of the party if Dahal decided to call a formal meeting of the party's committees unilaterally. Amid threat to split the party, Chairman Dahal had called an informal meeting of the party's Secretariat. The meeting, however, was boycotted by leaders close to Prime Minister Oli.

According to Spokesperson Shrestha, the informal meeting of the party's Secretariat decided to jointly ask Prime Minister Oli in writing to call a Secretariat meeting at the earliest to resolve the differences. Five of the total of nine members in the Secretariat had attended the meeting.