CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting on Wednesday to resolve several pressing issues, including party merger and formation of a new government, amid swirling speculation over the future of the left alliance.

The one-and-a-half-hour meeting at Oli’s residence in Balkot was expected to resolve the confusion over the party merger, leadership row in a new party after the unity and the upcoming government expected to be formed under the left alliance. The two leaders were also expected to find a common ground with the Nepali Congress on the formation of National Assembly.

After the meeting, both sides tried to defend the party unity, saying that suspicion and doubt were “baseless.”

Sources within the UML and the Maoist Centre said that the leaders discussed several key issues regarding the party merger and others, but could not reach any agreement. The two are expected to meet also on Thursday.

The formation of new government can be expected only after the Election Commission comes up with the final results under the Proportional Representation, said senior Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha. “We expect to chart out a modality for the party merger by then.”

Once the EC publishes the results, which may take another week, the process of forming a new government will be expedited, said the leaders. “This is just a preliminary discussion between the two leaders. Party unity requires more homework as the two sides need to settle the ideological, political and organisational issues,” Shrestha added.

During the meeting, Oli told Dahal that attempts are being made to sabotage the party unity from various quarters and suggested that they should remain cautious.

Some leaders, who are likely to face ouster after a merger, are making unnecessary noise and speaking against the party unity which has been the matter of concern, said sources. Dahal and Oli agreed to move ahead with the spirit of party unity by ignoring such remarks and statements made by certain party leaders, rival parties as well as “external power centres”.   

On Thursday, the two leaders are expected to discuss in detail about the party unity and hand over the charge to senior party leaders assigned to chart out the future course of the party unity before entering into the process of government formation.

The two leaders currently head the party unity committee with Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Bamdev Gautam and Ishwor Pokhrel as members from the UML and Shrestha and Ram Bahadur Thapa from the Maoist Centre.

“There is no doubt and suspicion over the party unity and both the leaders are firm on it,” said Oli’s press coordinator Chetan Adhikari, adding the unification process would be taken ahead by summoning a meeting of the coordination committee in the next few days.

An ordinance related to the formation of National Assembly is currently at the President’s Office, but President Bidya Devi Bhandari has not taken any decision on it, citing differences among the major political parties.