Banking Khabar | Kathmandu
The much-anticipated meeting between Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, scheduled for Monday, was unexpectedly called off at the last moment. Along with the meeting, the regular Cabinet session—originally planned for the evening—was also postponed.
Sources from Deuba’s secretariat confirmed that the cancellation came after Prime Minister Oli expressed he was unwell and unable to meet. “The Prime Minister said he wasn’t feeling well and suggested postponing the meeting,” a Deuba confidant told Banking Khabar. “It should not be interpreted as a rift within the coalition,” the source added.
The Cabinet meeting was widely expected to move forward with the long-pending appointment of the new Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. A recommendation committee led by Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, with former NRB Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and economist Dr. Posh Raj Pandey as members, is responsible for shortlisting candidates.
Earlier, Dr. Bishwo Paudel—considered a frontrunner for the role and representing the Nepali Congress—resigned from the committee on Baisakh 26, increasing speculation that his appointment was imminent.
The sudden postponement adds further uncertainty to the process, despite prior consensus between the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML regarding Paudel’s nomination.
