Prime Minister KP Oli of Nepal has said that India is conspiring to remove him from power. (File)
Kathmandu:
The future of Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will be decided at a crucial meeting of the Standing Committee of the ruling Communist Party on Saturday, party sources said on Friday amid growing demand for his resignation.
The meeting of 45 members of the Standing Committee of the Nepalese Communist Party, the party’s most powerful body, was postponed Thursday, as senior party officials failed to reach consensus on the resignation of Prime Minister Oli.
On Tuesday, the main leaders of the NCP called for the resignation of Prime Minister Oli, saying that his recent anti-Indian remarks were “neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate”.
“The Prime Minister’s remarks that India was plotting to remove him were neither politically correct nor diplomatic,” said party executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”.
Prime Minister Oli, 68, said on Sunday that there have been different types of activities in “embassies and hotels” to remove him from power.
He said some Nepalese leaders were also involved in the match following his government’s decision to update the country’s political map by incorporating three strategically key Indian territories – Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura.
Accusing the southern neighbor and his own party leaders by the Prime Minister was not appropriate, said a senior party official, quoting Pushpa Kamal Dahal “ Prachanda ” at the standing committee meeting on Tuesday.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” has repeatedly spoken of the lack of coordination between the government and the party and has been pushing for a first-past-the-post system to be followed by the NCP.
Divergences between the two factions of the NCP – one led by Mr. Oli and the other led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal “ Prachanda ” – intensified after the Prime Minister unilaterally decided to prorogue the parliamentary budget session Thursday.
PPushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” has called the crucial party standing committee meeting for Saturday which could decide the Prime Minister’s future, sources said.
At the standing committee meeting on Saturday, the two sides will develop a mechanism whereby the party and the government will both have to follow some sort of protocol, so that the differences can be corrected, said standing committee member Ganesh Shah.
Prime Minister Oli heads the government unilaterally and also does not allow the party’s executive chairman to operate alone, he said.
Prime Minister Oli and former Prime Minister Prachanda are both presidents of the ruling party.
Now the Prime Minister has the option – either to renounce the party’s presidency, or to the post of Prime Minister on a one-to-one basis, said Bishnu Rijal, member of the NCP central committee and deputy party leader . foreign Affairs.
“I think that a compromise will be found between the two parties to bridge the differences so that the crisis is over after the meeting on Saturday.”
At Tuesday’s standing committee meeting, Pushpa Kamal Dahal “ Prachanda ”, and former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal asked Mr. Oli to resign for making controversial remarks, led the government without consult the party and failed to deliver to the people.
They also asked Mr. Oli to produce evidence to prove his words.
Mr. Oli was stuck in the ruling party because the majority of senior leaders are with Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”. Mr. Oli has the support of only 15 members on the Standing Committee.
According to a senior cabinet member, Mr. Oli prorogued Parliament to reintroduce a controversial bill that splits a party.
The bill was withdrawn from parliament after legislators from the ruling party opposed it a few months ago.
The bill authorizes any political group to officially break the party with the support of 40% of the members of the House of Representatives or the Central Executive Committee.
Some party insiders speculate that Mr. Oli could opt to dissolve the party to save his government. The ruling NCP has 174 seats in the House of Representatives, which has 275 members.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal “ Prachanda ” are holding a one-on-one meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar to settle their differences, said a senior cabinet official.
They are trying to bridge the differences by addressing everyone’s concerns, he said.
