Two ruling parties have formed a three-tier political mechanism—at the centre, in the provinces and in the districts—in order to facilitate the government of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML at the centre and to resolve any disputes at the provincial and district levels.

Prime Minister and UML chair KP Sharma Oli and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba will head the mechanism, according to a statement issued by the secretariat of the newly announced body on Wednesday. The first meeting of the mechanism was held on Tuesday.

At the central level, they formed an eight-member team with four members from each party. Among them are the parties’ office bearers and ministers in the Oli Cabinet.

However, in the provinces and districts, each party will have three representatives in the task force.

The decision to form the joint mechanism is aimed at minimising the differences between the two parties, supporting the spirit of government formation agreed in mid-July when the parties came together, according to ruling party leaders.

The development comes at a time when the popularity of the Oli government is dipping as it fails to revive the ailing economy, unlike what was promised in mid-July. The mechanism is also tasked with removing the obstacles to the two parties’ coalition so that it continues to govern until the elections in 2027.

Formation of the mechanisms at provincial and district levels are said to be in the final stage.

Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka, General Secretary Gagan Thapa, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak are Congress members in the task force while UML senior vice-chairman Ishwar Pokhrel, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel and deputy general secretary Bishnu Rimal are representing Oli.

The decision was made on October 31, Rimal told the Post. The objectives of the mechanism are to support and facilitate the works of the three-tier government.

Representatives from the two parties will lead the mechanism by turns. Khadka of the Congress will coordinate the meetings for a month from November 5.

At the provincial level, Congress provincial party chief, incumbent chief minister or the parliamentary party leader (in case the party is not leading the provincial government) and the senior member of the provincial Cabinet will be members of the task force.

From the UML, provincial party chair, provincial in-charge and parliamentary party leader will be members of the task force, said Rimal. At the district level, Congress party president and two office bearers will be the members.

The UML district in-charge, party chair and secretary will be represented in the task force, according to Rimal.

The political mechanism also announced the visit of Prime Minister Oli to China scheduled for December 2-6. But the government is yet to make a formal announcement of the visit.

At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, prime minister Oli is paying an official visit to China in December. As per the instructions of Prime Minister Oli and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana will coordinate the visit. The task force will lay the groundwork for the visit , the statement added.

Rana has already cancelled her scheduled trip to Baku, Azerbaijan where she was to attend the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference. President Ramchandra Paudel is leading the Nepali delegation in the UN climate change conference.

The main objective of the three-tire mechanism is to assist and support the federal, provincial and local governments, said Rimal. The provincial and district level mechanisms will resolve disputes related to government functioning, he added.

“The main purpose of the mechanisms is to convince people that the government will deliver and address their needs. The mechanism will help restore trust and hope and will solidify the Congress-UML alliance,” added Rimal.

Leaders said that there is good working relations between the two parties at all three levels.

“This government will complete its full term. The current political Oli-Deuba partnership is doing well as there is a high level of mutual trust,” said Rimal.

He said the government would stay intact so long as the trust between Oli and Deuba remains intact and so long as the UML remains a united party.