KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Oli and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba held a meeting in Baluwatar amid growing uncertainty over the appointment of the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank.
The talks come at a time when the process of appointing the central bank governor has stalled.
Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel, Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana, and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also joined the discussion, which took place ahead of a scheduled cabinet meeting and is being viewed as politically significant.
PM Oli and Deuba had previously agreed to appoint Dr. Gunakar Bhatta as the new Governor, and Bhatta subsequently resigned from his post as Executive Director.
However, the acting governor, Dr. Neelam Dhungana, has declined to accept Bhatta’s resignation, throwing the appointment process into confusion.
Further complicating the matter, Bijayanath Bhattarai, a member of the Governor Recommendation Committee, resigned from his post.
In response, the government appointed outgoing Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari to the committee. Despite the committee now being complete, it has yet to convene, as the issue of Bhatta’s resignation remains unresolved.
Adding to the complications, a writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against Maha Prasad Adhikari. The governor’s post has remained vacant.
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