Review Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal, April 7, 2020: The differences and factional war has marred the ruling head Nepal Communist Party (NCP) in the time when the country has faced challenge to cope the spread of global pandemic, corona virus (COVID-19).
Secretariat meeting scheduled for Tuesday would face fierce debate on ranges of issues including the issued related to the recent scams and poor performance of the government to pave the way to insert demands to change of the guard of the government.
Even though the issue related to the change of the government was believed to have averted for a time being with the emergence of the COVID-19, it is suspected that recent differences would lead the party towards the vertical split or dissolution of the government if the differences is not managed as it should be.
Following the constant pressure from the overwhelming majorities of the secretariat members including executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and former Prime Ministers duo Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has on Monday agreed to call a secretariat meeting.
Following the consent from the chairman duo, General Secretary, Bishnu Poudel has informed the secretariat members about the scheduled meeting at Prime Minister Oli’s official residence Baluwatar, at 4 pm on Tuesday. However, the decision to call the secretariat meeting is not revealed officially.
Even though the agendas of the scheduled secretariat meeting is not fixed yet, it is said that the issues like recent corruption allegation against the ministers while procuring medial equipment to contain the VOVID-19, the decision to entrust Nepal Army for the procurement of these medical equipments without holding consolations in the party will be discussed first during the meeting. It is said that issues related to the relief package to the affected people would also be discussed during the meeting.
As the secretariat meeting is being convened after about two months in the midst of the widening differences on ranges of issues related to the governance and the party, the people in general have also taken importantly about the decisions of the party.
The secretariat meeting held earlier before Oli admitted to the hospital for his second kidney transplantation had faced fierce debate over some pressing issues like endorsement of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) from the parliament, recommendation of the Party’s Vice Chairman Bam Dev Gautam as member of the upper house and others.
It is said that the recent one controversy over the medical equipment would be an opportunity to the dissident leaders to insert the demand to change the guard of the government by raising questions over the alleged involvement of Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ishowr Pokhrel and Heath and Population Minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal in this scam.
Though the government has scarped the deal signed with controversial business firm, Omni Group, the dissident leaders have protested not only the deal and the government decision to entrust the Nepal Army to procure medical equipment necessary to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision is also alleged as ill-intention of the government, particularly the Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Pokhrel, who also leads the high-level coordination committee to control Covid-19, for unnecessarily dragging the national defense force into controversies.
The dissident leaders have raised not only the issues related to the alleged irregularities and possible involvement of cabinet minister and advisors of the Prime Minister Oli but also raised question over the poor performance of the government linking to the poor health situation of Oli.
