KATHMANDU, March 16: Three former prime ministers have boycotted an all-party meeting called by President Bidya Devi Bhandari. 

Former prime ministers trio Baburam Bhattarai, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal chose to abstain from the meeting called by President Bhandari at Shital Niwas on Tuesday afternoon.  While Khanal and Nepal belong to the rival faction of the CPN-UML, Bhattarai heads the federal council of the Janata Samajbadi Party. 

Sources said they decided to skip the meeting questioning the role of President Bhandari in the row of the erstwhile Nepal Communist Party (NCP). They have publicly alleged that President Bhandari had failed to act as a custodian of the constitution, supporting even unconstitutional moves taken by Prime Minister Oli.  

The meeting called by President Bhandari is attended by Prime Minister and Chairman of CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairman of Janata Samajbadi Party Mahanta Thakur, and former Chairman of Council of Minister Khil Raj Regmi. 

 
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