The political future of Mr. Oli, known for his pro-Beijing tendencies, will be decided on Wednesday (File)
Kathmandu:
Amid growing pressure on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign, Chinese Ambassador Hou Yanqi on Tuesday intensified consultations with leaders of the ruling Nepalese Communist Party to save him.
Hou has met with senior leaders and former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal in the past 48 hours as heated negotiations for power-sharing were taking place between besieged Prime Minister Oli and a dissident group led by the executive president of the ruling party, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ” Prachanda. ”
The political future of Oli, 68, known for his pro-Beijing tendencies, will be decided Wednesday at the meeting of the standing committee of the ruling party.
During the 45-minute meeting with Khanal on Tuesday, Mr. Hou expressed concern over the disputes that have arisen within the ruling party and suggested working to resolve the disputes.
On Sunday, the Chinese ambassador met with the senior leader of the NCP and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and discussed the current political situation. She also called President Bidya Devi Bhandari the same day.
Madhav Nepal and Mr. Khanal both had talks with the Chinese envoy regarding the latest political situation in the country, the aides said, without giving details.
A number of political party leaders described the series of meetings of the Chinese envoy with the leaders of the ruling party as interference in the internal political affairs of Nepal.
“Will the democratic republic operated via a remote control benefit the Nepalese people?” Former Foreign Minister and Rastriya Prajatantra party chairman Kamala Thapa tweeted, apparently referring to the Chinese envoy’s meeting with the leaders of the NCP.
“We firmly refute all conspiracy theories that the internal political dynamics and the phenomenon here in our country, even today, are dictated by such and such a foreign force,” tweeted Narayankaji Shrestha, spokesman for the NCP, few after the Chinese envoy met Madhav Nepal.
“Nepal, as a sovereign country, is able to decide for itself. We oppose and reject any tendency to interfere in our affairs.”
This is not the first time that the Chinese ambassador has intervened in the internal affairs of Nepal in times of crisis. A month and a half ago, when the intra-party quarrel of the NCP reached its climax, Mr. Hou had separate meetings with President Bhandari, Prime Minister Oli and other senior leaders, including the Executive Chairman of the NCP, Pushpa Kamal Dahal “ Prachanda ” and Madhav Nepal.
