Prachanda Engages in Political Dialogue Amidst Provincial Alliance Issues

Kathmandu. With problems arising in the provincial alliance between the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the coordinator of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN), Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, has become active. Immediately after returning home from his visit to Sri Lanka, Prachanda has increased his activity through political dialogue and meetings. 

Prachanda landed in Kathmandu on Sunday afternoon. On Sunday evening, he had a telephone conversation with CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli regarding the provincial समीकरण. Similarly, on Monday morning, Prachanda met with party co-coordinator Madhav Kumar Nepal at his residence in Koteshwor. Leader Nepal has been resting at home for a few days due to a cold, cough, and mild fever. 

After meeting Leader Nepal, Prachanda wished him a speedy recovery and discussed the new power equation in the provinces. According to CPN leaders, Prachanda and Nepal discussed the latest political situation in the country, the friction between the Congress and UML in the provinces, and their request for the CPN to join the government. 

‘The discussion was not only about the change of power in the provinces but also about the latest politics’, said a leader close to Nepal. ‘The main topic of discussion is how to move forward in the changing political situation.’

Although Prachanda was scheduled to meet UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli on Monday evening after meeting Nepal, the time has not yet been fixed. A source close to Prachanda said, ‘There is a preparation for a meeting between Chairman Oli and Coordinator Prachanda around Monday evening.’

After Oli, it is said that Prachanda is also preparing to meet Congress President Gagan Thapa. While Prachanda was on his Sri Lanka visit, leaders Barshaman Pun and Ramesh Hamal had met UML Chairman Oli and inquired about the changing equation in the provinces. 

Two years ago, an alliance was formed between CPN-UML and Nepali Congress at the center and in the provinces. According to that alliance, as the term has ended, there are voices within both parties demanding a change in the leadership of the provincial governments. Accordingly, in Sudurpashchim, the Congress-led government has dismissed UML ministers, while in Karnali Province, Congress ministers have left the government and moved forward with a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister. Here, although there was a plan for UML ministers to leave the Bagmati Province and bring a no-confidence motion against the Congress-led government, the CPN-UML Bagmati Province Parliamentary Party meeting held on Monday concluded that they would not leave the government immediately and adopted a ‘wait and see’ policy.  

As the Congress-UML alliance in the provinces began to break, both parties are trying to form and run the government with the CPN. However, since the CPN has previously stated that it will not engage in power games, it is difficult for them to make an immediate decision. On the other hand, some leaders of the CPN are also opposing the party's involvement in the provincial power equation. They are warning the CPN leadership not to engage in power games, as the instability of provincial governments will increase public dissatisfaction with federalism as a whole. 

In such a situation, Coordinator Prachanda has been saying that the UML and Congress should run the provincial governments together as much as possible. However, he has been saying that if the Congress and UML cannot unite and to prevent further accidents, the CPN should provide support.