KATHMANDU, July 19: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been deferred yet again as the top leaders of the party work on resolving intra-party disputes over power sharing.

According to a press statement issued by the Central Office of the NCP, the Standing Committee meeting scheduled for 3 pm Sunday has been deferred for 11 am Tuesday. 

The Standing Committee meeting was first called for June 24 amid growing intra-party dispute after a rival faction led by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal sought immediate resignation of Prime Minister KP Oli. Since then the meeting has been deferred repeatedly as top leaders have failed to reach consensus on a power-sharing deal within the party.

Sources said the Standing Committee meeting has been put off for the seventh time after Prime Minister KP Oli during a Secretariat meeting held on Saturday proposed holding the party's general convention in mid-December.

NCP insiders said the new proposal could save Prime Minister Oli in power as Chairman Dahal, who is looking to be the party's chairman with all powers, is positive to the prime minister's proposal. Senior leader Nepal, however, has grown suspicious over the 'hidden' deal that Prime Minister Oli and Chairman Dahal could have reached.

Shortly after the Standing Committee meeting held on Saturday, both Prime Minister Oli and Chairman Dahal had reached the President's Office in Shital Niwas to apprise her of the agreement reached at the Secretariat meeting. Many have described this as Prime Minister Oli and Chairman Dahal keeping President Bidya Devi Bhandari as a 'witness' of their agreement as Dahal had earlier complained in public that Prime Minister Oli was not honoring the promises made in the past.

But as the agreement drew concerns among leaders belonging to the faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal, Chairman Dahal called a meeting of the party's Secretariat members at his residence in Khumaltar on Sunday morning to brief them on his discussions with Prime Minister Oli. 

The meeting was attended by senior leader Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and the party's Standing Committee members Pampha Bhusal, Janardan Sharma, Gokarna Bista and Bhim Rawal. Interestingly, the party’s Vice Chairman Bam Dev Gautam and the Secretariat member Ram Bahadur Thapa were not present in the meeting. 

Vice Chairman Gautam and the party’s General Secretary Bishnu Paudel had earlier held separate meetings with Chairman Dahal.

 
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