KATHMANDU, Aug 11: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Pashupati SJB Rana clarified that the unification with Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) failed because of flaws in the interim statute prepared for the unified party.

Organizing a press meet in the capital on Thursday, Rana said that the statute was problematic in power sharing between the chairmen of the two parties.

He argued that the unification should happen in a dignified manner. He further said that the unification by adopting the interim statute would have been surrender of his party having two ex-prime ministers and several former ministers.

The central committees of both RPP and RPP-N had decided to unify the parties and had set last Tuesday as the date for the formal declaration of the unification.  However, the unification process hit a snag when RPP decided to send two leaders into the cabinet led by CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the eve of proposed unification.

RPP-N Chairman Kamal Thapa, organizing a press conference on Tuesday, had alleged Rana of plotting against the unification. Thapa had also alleged Rana of coming under the influence of unseen powers and foreigners in stopping the unification process.

Answer to Thapa, Rana on Thursday urged the RPP-N leaders to maintain political character while criticizing RPP. When particularly asked about the allegation of coming under foreign influence, Rana criticized Thapa as a 'Nepali version of Donald Trump,' the candidate from Republican Party for the presidential election in the USA and infamous for his racist and ultra-nationalist comments.

Rana said that the unification between the two parties would still be possible if RPP-N leaders would be ready to share some rights and leadership with RPP leaders.

RPP-N is the fourth largest party in the parliament with 25 seats while RPP has 12 seats in the House.

 
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