Kathmandu: As China seeks to keep the Communist alliance together, despite the split in the ruling NCP party, the P K Dahal Prachanda-Madhav Nepal faction of the party said that the only way to restore unity was through the reinstatement of the House of Representatives by PM K P Oli. The NCP is now divided into 2 factions, one led by Oli and the other by Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal. While addressing a rally, Madhav Nepal had said the party could still be united if Oli accepted his mistake.
Senior leader of the Dahal-Nepal NCP and former minister Ram Karki said there was no other way for Oli to accept his mistake other than rolling back the decision to dissolve the Lower House. While denying any interference by China, he also said Dahal’s party will continue to follow a “policy of balance” with India and China. “Oli has left no space for unity with his decision to dissolve the House...,” said Karki. Karki had accompanied Madhav Nepal to the meeting with the Chinese delegation which visited Nepal apparently to mediate between Oli and Dahal. The delegation led by vice minister Guo Yezhou left Nepal but the Chinese ambassador Hou Yanqi remains in touch with both sides to, in what reports from Kathmandu described as Beijing’s plan B, keep the alliance intact for the elections next year.
While many in Nepal have accused China of interfering in the country’s internal affairs, Karki emphatically denied this saying it was only natural for Beijing to assess the situation when uncertainty prevailed. “What we saw from China was silent diplomacy. They seemed more interested in listening than talking. Communist parties from other countries, including India, have also expressed similar sentiments about party unity,” said Karki, adding that there was no mention of India or the US in the meeting with the Chinese delegation.
While denying that there was any pressure on the PM from any foreign country, a leader of the Oli faction, said Oli had no option but to dissolve the House because of the “destructive role” played by his rivals. Oli had also worked actively in the past few months to improve ties with India leading to a resumption of bilateral engagements. Even in the middle of the current instability, his government has said that ties with India will not be affected.
