Dahal skips meeting of senior leaders

KATHMANDU: CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal did not attend the meeting of senior leaders called by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Thursday evening.

According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the meeting was convened to discuss the remaining tasks of the peace process.

While Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba arrived at the venue on time, Dahal skipped the meeting, citing a busy schedule.

A Maoist Centre leader said Dahal’s decision was also influenced by a past incident in which the government dismissed NEA Executive Director Kul Man Ghising following a meeting of the three leaders. Several media reports had linked Ghising’s dismissal to that meeting.

During Thursday’s meeting, Oli and Deuba discussed the government’s upcoming policies and programmes. According to a member of Oli’s secretariat, both leaders agreed on the need to enhance the effectiveness of the government’s agenda.

The government is set to present its policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year at a joint session of both houses of parliament on Friday.