Prachanda Meets Oli's Close Ally and Former Speaker Nembang to Resolve Intra-party Rift

Nepal Communist Party's executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Thursday held talks with former Speaker Subhash Nembang, a close ally of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, to resolve the intra-party rift.

As Thursday's proposed one-on-one meeting between Oli and Prachanda could not take place, Nembang met the executive chairman on behalf of the Prime Minister, a party source said. "The meeting was held in a positive manner," Nembang told reporters, without sharing details.

He said it is the responsibility of "all of us to create understanding between the two top leaders to save the party from splitting". Prachanda's office said that Nembang visited him to represent Oli in order to create a positive environment to sort out their differences.

Oli and Prachanda have held at least ten meetings in recent weeks to sort out the differences between them. But, as the Prime Minister did not accept the condition of a one-man-one-post, the talks failed. Oli has refused to give up his post as prime minister as well as a co-chairman of the NCP.

A bitter internal feud has been brewing in the ruling NCP since the last few weeks after top party leaders, including Prachanda, demanded Oli's resignation, saying his recent anti-India remarks were "neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate."

They are also against Oli's autocratic style of functioning. The differences grew further after Oli said that some of the ruling party leaders are aligning with the southern neighbour to remove him from power after his government issued a new political map incorporating three Indian territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura.

The two leaders are also engaged in tightening their grip within the party with the escalation of intra-party feud. On July 28, Prime Minister Oli postponed the crucial Standing Committee meeting for the ninth time.

While Oli wants to call the Secretariat meeting to resolve the differences, Prachanda says it would be inappropriate to call the Secretariat meeting as the Standing Committee meeting that was put off on July 28 is yet to be over. Prime Minister Oli wants the Secretariat meeting to resolve the key issues of intra-party dispute as he now commands a majority in the nine-member body after Vice Chairman Gautam stood in his favour.

Prachanda, who is backed by senior party leader and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, believes that the Standing Committee could take decisions favourable to him as their faction commands a comfortable majority, according to reports.