Nepal: PM Oli and Deuba rule out any possibility of government change

Kathmandu, April 26 The growing differences between the ruling coalition partners in Nepal - Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and Nepali Congress have resurfaced as the top leaders of both parties held talks for the continuation of the present coalition, local media reported on Saturday.

Reports suggest that the speculation about the ongoing differences between the two parties increased when the leader of the main opposition and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal made a public announcement supporting Congress Chief Sher Bahadur Deuba to lead the next government by replacing the current Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Nepal's leading newspaper, The Kathmandu Post, reported that, according to some Congress leaders, the party faces increasing uneasiness with the working style of PM Oli.

Meanwhile, addressing journalists on Friday upon his arrival from Bangkok, Deuba dismissed any possibility of a government change.

"Our alliance is intact and it is not going to change," said Deuba

Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Deuba stated that when Congress Chief Sher Bahadur Deuba was in Bangkok, Oli spoke with him over the phone and discussed the matter in detail after media reports on instability in the government based on political speculations in Kathmandu.

"There is no chance of a government change. For entertainment per se, someone is peddling this rumour. On this, the Prime Minister also called the party President [Deuba] and talked at length," said the foreign minister.

After his conversation with Deuba, Oli stated that he would hand over the position of PM to Deuba after 14 months, as decided by the two parties while forming the government in July, last year.

"I will resign after 14 months and hand over the premiership to Deuba," Oli told reporters after attending a meeting in the House of Representatives.

Reports suggest that lately, the relationship between the coalition partners has shaken as the government confronts multiple problems amid increasing public frustration.

Last week, the Congress leaders decided to review the performance of the government amid many street protests.

The two-party mechanism, which was formed to facilitate the coalition's functioning, met in the face of the government's failure to address issues such as the agitating teachers' demands

However, the Congress and the UML meeting later ruled out any problems between the two parties.

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