Nepal's ruling communist party meet to decide PM Oli's future deferred again

A crucial meeting of Nepal's ruling communist party to decide the political future of embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli was postponed until Wednesday, a day after the Chinese ambassador met a senior leader amidst intra-party rifts and calls for his resignation over his style of functioning and anti-India statements.

The meeting of the Nepal Communist Party’s 45-member powerful Standing Committee was scheduled to be held on Monday. Prime Minister's press advisor Surya Thapa said the meeting was postponed until Wednesday. The reason for the deferment for a third time was not revealed.

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The development came as China’s ambassador Hou Yanqi met with the senior leader of the NCP and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Sunday. The activities of the Chinese envoy have been increasing in Kathmandu in the wake of the growing turmoil in the ruling communist party. The differences between the two factions of the NCP -- one led by Oli and the other led by party''s executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ''Prachanda'' on the issue of power-sharing -- intensified after the prime minister unilaterally decided to prorogue the budget session of Parliament on Thursday.

The Prachanda faction, backed by senior leaders and former prime ministers Madhav Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal, has been demanding Oli''s resignation. According to a senior NCP leader, the Chinese ambassador met Madhav Nepal at his residence in Koteshwor on Sunday evening and they discussed the current situation. The Chinese envoy also called on Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday, My Republica newspaper reported on Monday.

This is not the first time that the Chinese ambassador has intervened in Nepal''s internal affairs at a time of crisis. One-and-a-half months ago, when the NCP’s intra-party feud reached the climax, Hou held separate meetings with President Bhandari, Prime Minister Oli and other senior leaders including Prachanda and Madhav Nepal. This is for the third time that the Standing Committee meeting of the ruling party was postponed.

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