CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to visit Bangkok for medical examinations on January 10.

With just days remaining before his trip to the Thai capital, Oli and his fellow left alliance leader, CPN (Maoist Chairman) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, are expected to meet to discuss new government formation and power-sharing issue as part of the party merger plan after the latter returns from Chitwan.

Dahal will return to Kathmandu on Saturday afternoon, his press coordinator, Manahari Timilsena, said on Friday.

He added that the meeting between the two leaders was expected to take place soon, though the date and time have not been fixed yet.

Meanwhile, Oli, who is said to have recovered after a brief bout of illness, is currently resting at home at the advice of his doctor. 

He has cancelled all the meetings and engagements outside his home for now. He was indisposed to attend the five-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Baluwatar on Thursday as well.  

Word within the left alliance is that the UML-Maoist Centre merger is getting pushed back because Oli and Dahal are not seeing eye to eye on the issue of power-sharing. 

The Maoist chief is said to be gunning for the chairman’s berth of the new unified party if Oli takes the mantle of prime minister. Oli is reportedly unwilling to vacate the chairman’s seat for Dahal, because he fears that his own position within the party could be compromised, with senior UML leaders like Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam already seeking greater role in the party.  

A senior UML leader told the Post that the unity process would have gone through smoothly had Oli agreed to share the top posts.

The lower committees from both UML and Maoist Centre are prepared for the merger, but it is the power-sharing tussle between Oli and Dahal that is causing the hold-up, he added.  

We’ve entered the era of economic growth: Dahal

BHARATPUR

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that everyone should take the blame if the country fails to gain momentum for development after all the political achievements of recent years.

“This is not the time of the authoritarian rule of the erstwhile monarchy. We have come a long way to be where we are today. And if we still cannot achieve growth and prosperity for the country, it will be our collective failure, not just of the political leadership, but of us all,” he said while addressing the 9th convention of Chitwan Industry Association on Friday.  

The Maoist chief said to build a prosperous country, it was crucial to maintain good ties with the neighbouring countries China and India at diplomatic, economic and people-to-people fronts. 

“We have entered the era of economic growth after years of struggle,” said Dahal.