The ongoing intra-party conflict in the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has taken a new twist as four out of the nine secretariat members boycotted Saturday’s meeting after Prime Minister and party Co-chairman KP Sharma Oli failed to turn up on time. The development has brought to the fore the internal rift within the NCP.

The secretariat meeting was fixed for 3pm at Baluwatar. But when Oli did not show up till 3:30pm, leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal, Bamdev Gautam and party Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha left the venue out of frustration.

The party’s secretariat meeting, delayed due to the controversial Asia Pacific Summit, was scheduled on Friday but was postponed until Saturday as the prime minister had to attend a meeting at the National Planning Commission.

“We had an understanding to wait for 15 minutes and inform all the members if there were any further delays,” said Shrestha, adding that the four leaders left the meeting to ensure that the party runs in a systematic manner.  

The leaders claimed that the prime minister and party co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal were busy meeting with other people while the secretariat members were waiting for them. Feeling humiliated the four leaders left the venue as neither the party chairmen nor General Secretary Bishnu Poudel informed them about the delay.

The latest incident suggests the leaders were not happy with the working style of Chairman Oli—the issue they have raised time and again. The leaders are said to be preparing to take up the issue of government’s involvement in the controversial Asia Pacific Summit in the meeting.

However, General Secretary Poudel claimed Saturday’s secretariat meeting decided to call the party’s standing committee meeting on December 15 where all the pending issues of the party would be discussed.

The party is yet to finalise its politburo and work division to the party’s 441 central committee members besides merging sister wings and departments.