Balen Shah and Rabi Lamichhane hold long talks on ordinance and police chief

Prime Minister Balen Shah and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane met at Lamichhane's residence in Budhanilkantha on Wednesday (October 28). As the talks ran long, the cabinet meeting planned for that day was pushed to Thursday, Onlinekhabar and Annapurna Post reported.

Outlets differ on how long the two leaders spoke. Onlinekhabar, citing a senior security source, said they talked from about 10:15 am to 2:15 pm, and an RSP office-bearer told Annapurna Post the discussion ran from 10 am to 2:15 pm. A separate Annapurna Post report put the meeting at more than five hours.

Neither side has given an official account. According to sources cited by Annapurna Post, the talks centred on a civil service ordinance the government plans to bring, the future of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Bahadur Karki, and a disputed audio recording linked to RSP lawmaker Khagendra Sunar, over which possible legal and other steps were discussed. The two also went over the upcoming India visit and other policy and administrative decisions of the government, the paper reported.

The ordinance

A senior source told Annapurna Post that the Prime Minister is keen to bring in the 30-55 provision for the civil service, either through the ordinance or by amending some laws. Lamichhane is said to oppose it, arguing that it would push a large number of experienced staff out of the service. The RSP office-bearer told the paper the meeting was meant to reach a common view on the ordinance and on some matters of running the government.

The police chief

Annapurna Post's sources said Lamichhane set out his own position on Karki, while Shah is unhappy with the police chief. A parliamentary subcommittee has been called to meet at Singha Durbar on Thursday over a dispute about Nepal Police uniform procurement, and the RSP may use the issue to press for Karki's resignation or exit, the paper reported. Reports that a group close to the Prime Minister had stepped up pressure on the IGP to resign came out on Wednesday.

The two leaders are expected to keep talking before decisions are taken on the ordinance, the IGP's future and key political appointments, according to Annapurna Post.