Simmering standoff brewing between elected leaders and powerful senior official

A simmering standoff is brewing between elected leaders and a powerful senior official, their relations reportedly at rock bottom. An unprecedented boycott of meetings he attends aims to compel him to address their grievances personally. The cold war continues, with both sides entrenched. Allies fear a prolonged impasse could spill the damaging fallout into the public arena. It remains to be seen whether the two sides will come together, amid reports that a big is growing impatient with the ensuing uncertainties.