Kathmandu, Sept. 4 -- If it had taken place as announced, the CPN-UML's central committee meeting would have been held on Friday. The meeting was called to endorse the statute draft to be presented at the Second Statute Convention, to be held at Godavari, Lalitpur, from September 5 to 7.

However, the central committee meeting was postponed at the last hour.

While leaders from the party establishment side cited a lack of time for the postponement, those from the faction led by former President Bidya Devi Bhandari claimed that the leadership cancelled the meeting after realising that leaders close to Bhandari were prepared to present a parallel document challenging the official one in the central committee meeting.

UML chair KP Sharma Ol...