The task force formed to resolve internal dispute in ruling CPN has recommended that Chairman KP Sharma Oli will serve the full five-year term as prime minister (PM) and fellow Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal will take the wheel of the party.
"It says one chairman will lead the government and the other the party," a party source said about the report submitted by the Bishnu Paudel led task force to Oli and Dahal at Baluwatar Saturday evening. "It recommends that Dahal will be fully active in party works but will consult PM Oli. Similarly, PM Oli will also move the government works forward consulting Dahal."
The two chairmen had reached similar agreement on November 20, 2019 in presence of President Bidya Devi Bhandari Dahal who acted as guarantor of the agreement.
Dahal had relinquished his claim for the post of PM after the two chairmen signed the agreement on division of responsibilities. Dahal was made chairman with executive rights. Oli and Dahal were to remain chairmen, and Oli to continue to be ranked top but Oli had handed over the executive rights to Dahal.
Dahal was to lead the party and chair party meetings while Oli would lead the government through the current term of House of Representatives. But Oli continued to run even the party unilaterally, Dahal alleges, leading to the dispute that is raging inside the party since April.
The issue of seeking Oli's resignation as PM seems to have been settled for now. The factions of Dahal and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal were adamant that Oli should resign from one of the two top posts. The party's standing committee meeting has been stalled due to the demand of Oli's resignation.
The task force has also recommended that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact should not be implemented without amendment. It has advised the government to effectively fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and also urged it to resolve the border disputes with India through diplomacy.
It has advised formation of a task force to make the provincial and local governments more effective and recommended for holding the general convention by mid-April, 2021 and to operate the party in accordance to due procedures and system.
It has recommended to make political appointments in accordance to prevailing values and the two chairmen to move forward consulting each other considering party unity.
The report talks about making the federal government more effective but does not mention Cabinet reshuffle. The party source, however, claimed that it hints about reshuffle of the government and change of chief ministers with consent of the two chairmen.
A meeting of the warring chairmen on August 14 had formed the task force. The party's secretariat meeting on Monday had endorsed the task force.
The task force also including standing committee members Janardan Sharma, Shankar Pokharel, Bhim Rawal, Surendra Pandey and Pampha Bhusal was instructed to draft the framework of agreement soon.
