One of the major coalition partners of the Sher Bahadur Deuba government, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), has decided to make what it calls a last-ditch effort to save the ruling alliance without changing its stance on the Millennium Challenge Corporation-Nepal Compact.

The party on Friday held an extended meeting including those who were in the secretariat as the five-party ruling coalition faced breakdown over the MCC compact ratification with Prime Minister Deuba making attempts to reach a new a deal with the UML chair KP Sharma Oli.

“The meeting of the top leaders of the party has decided to make one last attempt to save the five-party coalition while keeping the party’s stance on MCC intact,” said Ramesh Malla, chief personal secretary of Maoist Centre chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal. “Chairman Dahal will also hold talks with Madhav Nepal.”

Dahal’s Maoist party and Madhav Nepal’s CPN (Unified Socialist) are opposed to MCC ratification and have said they would vote against it in Parliament. But both do not want to let the coalition break, as their stance could force Deuba to explore new options.

The MCC compact was tabled at the Parliament on February 20.

Prime Minister Deuba held two meetings with UML chair Oli on Thursday after asking the Speaker to postpone the day’s House meeting until Friday. The two parties, according to insiders of both the parties, are nearing a deal to forge an alliance to ensure that the $500 million American grant is endorsed from the Parliament.

Friday’s House meeting was also postponed at the request of the government. The next meeting has been called for 1pm Sunday.