CPN Dispute: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's 'Intensive' Meeting with the Chief of Army Staff of the Nepal Army Preparation for 'Response' or Regular Process?

  

The news that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli met with the Chief of Army Staff of the Nepal Army Purnachandra Thapa a few days ago has created a kind of wave.

The meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff has been linked to the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-UML) at a time when internal disputes are at an all-time high.

Nepali and Indian media have also mentioned that Prime Minister Oli's meeting with General Thapa was intense.

But Nepal Army spokesperson Rathi Bijnandev Pandey said Oli and Thapa had a "regular meeting" on Sunday.

He said that he did not know the content of the meeting and the other days as mentioned in the news.

'Attempt to provoke'

Prime Minister's Press Adviser Surya Thapa did not confirm the news that they had met twice in two days. But he did not deny it.

He said, "The Prime Minister has regular meetings with the Commander-in-Chief. It is not uncommon to meet him. It can happen as often as necessary.

   

It is learned that the Chief of Army Staff also met the Defense Minister at the same time.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel, who is in charge of the defense ministry, said that he had regular meetings with him.

'Not just regular'

While speculating about the possibility of a party split, there were reports that the prime minister was attacking himself with ministers and responded by saying "by word of mouth" and "step by step".

Reports have surfaced that the prime minister is trying to oust the president, who is also the army's supreme leader.

Some have seen the meeting with the army chief as part of various preparations for the same 'step'.

Security expert Geja Sharma Wagle is also not ready to consider the meeting as regular.

He said, "Controversy within the ruling party has escalated and the Prime Minister has said that if there is an attack on the Prime Minister and the President, the Prime Minister's remarks will be analyzed.

   

According to him, the meeting may have taken place in the context of the need for other mechanisms to control the 'step by step' situation as stated by the Prime Minister.

Real preparation or psychological message?

The government has limited resources to declare a state of emergency and mobilize the army.

According to a CPN (Maoist) leader, Netra Bikram Chand's activities have led to undeclared chaos and health crisis.

That too has to be approved by the parliament and the constitutionalists say that the government does not have the right to dissolve the parliament as is sometimes suspected.

However, the CPN (Maoist) leader said that "the main duty of the president is to uphold and protect the constitution". But he said the situation would not get there.

Some senior leaders of the CPN (Maoist) have said that the Prime Minister is threatening them.

  

Wagle, a security expert, sees some truth in that.

He said, "Meeting with the army chief is partly a political message aimed at psychologically weakening the dissidents within the party. More than that, it seems to be trying to win the army's trust for its own political ends."

"But the army should not be used for political purposes."