KATHMANDU, Feb 5: The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Monday said it stands by its stance denouncing US ‘interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs’, a day after the main opposition Nepali Congress expressed concerns over the recent unease in Nepal-US relations caused by ‘ insensible, immature statements’ issued by the government and NCP Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. 

“We believe that there should be not any foreign intervention on the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela. The party stands by its stance on the matter,” party spokesman Narayan Kaji Shrestha told reporters after a meeting of party’s top guns held at party office in the capital on Monday. 

Following futile attempts to convince Venezuela’s embattled President Nicholas Maduro to step down to end a long standing political crisis, US last month unilaterally recognized Juan Guaido as the republic’s interim president, undermining the elected government. While the US and its allies in Europe have welcomed the move, other countries including Russia and China have stood against it.

Reacting to the political development in the oil-rich communist state in a strong-worded a statement, Dahal described the act of “US and its allies” an “unacceptable intrusion in internal affairs and an attempt of imperialist coup”. 

The statement rattled Nepal’s relations with the US with the latter calling top government official to clarify the government’s official position on the matter. The US Department of State had separately summoned Nepal’s ambassador to Washington DC Arjun Karki for clarification. 

Responding to US concerns, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement stressing the need for resolving the political crisis in Venezuela without “external interference”, echoing Dahal’s stance, albeit in a toned-down form.

After staying tight-lipped for few weeks, NC on Sunday had expressed strong concerns over the statements, calling them insensible, immature and against the country’s national interests.

Unification taskforce’s term expires without much progress
A taskforce formed by Nepal Communist Party (NCP) to finalize unification of lower committee and sister wings have ended its deadline without making any headway following disagreements among its members over a proposal to adopt ‘one person, one position’ policy in the party.

The proposal seeks to bar leaders from holding two positions -- in the party and the government -- at the same time. If endorsed, several leaders including Province 5 Chief Minister Ishwar Pokharel and Province 4 Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung will have to give up their party responsibilities. 

Leaders said that senior leader Madhav Nepal’s demand to reconstitute the party’s provincial committee was also causing delays in the unification of the lower-rung committees. 

The row over unification of the party’s lower organizations is likely to delay the party’s first general convention further. The unification between the district and local committees of the two parties is yet to be completed. The then CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) had merged in May last year.

The Bishnu Paudel-led task force includes Ram Bahadur Thapa, Shankar Pokharel, Barshaman Pun, Yogesh Bhattarai, Surendra Pandey, Beduram Bhusal and Lekhraj Bhatta as members.

Top leaders of the NCP have directed the task force members to submit their report even if it is incomplete.

 
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