By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Aug. 18: A Secretariat meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Monday endorsed the six-member taskforce formed by its two chairmen, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
The taskforce led by party General Secretary Bishnu Poudel was formed on Friday to outline a roadmap to settle the intra-party differences in the NCP.
The Secretariat meeting had begun at 9:30 am at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar.
NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the secretariat meeting today approved the taskforce and gave legitimacy to it.
Shrestha said that positive discussions were held in the meeting regarding the taskforce and the responsibility of recommending the steps that the government needs to take has also been given to the taskforce.
“The taskforce will work actively and present its report shortly. We are hopeful that the taskforce will sort out the current political deadlock in the party,” said Shrestha.
Stating that following all the procedures while forming a taskforce to solve the intra-party rift would be uncomplicated, Spokesperson Shrestha said that even better message would have been sent had the taskforce been formed by the Secretariat.
He further added that the taskforce would do its homework on resolving the crisis that had emerged within the party by maintaining party unity and holding the unity general convention.
The six-member panel has two loyalists each of the three top party leaders, PM Oli, Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal.
PM Oli’s faction is represented by State 5 Chief Minister Shanker Pokharel and party General Secretary Bishnu Poudel, Janardan Sharma and Pampha Bhusal represent Prachanda’s faction, while Bhim Rawal and Surendra Pandey represent Nepal’s camp.
The taskforce has already held two meetings to draft a detailed agreement between the two leaders to settle the intra-party differences in the party.
The Secretariat meeting of the party convened today after a hiatus of almost one month, following an agreement between the two chairmen to settle the intra-party differences as per the broader understanding reached between PM Oli and Prachanda.
Earlier, the party Secretariat meeting was held on July 18.
The meeting was called after the senior leaders including Jhala Nath Khanal, Madhav Kumar Nepal and party Spokesperson Shrestha voiced that the formation of the taskforce should be given legitimacy through an official meeting.