Protests In Nepal Against Chinese Interference

Scores of people protested in Kathmandu on Sunday against Chinese interference in domestic affairs of Nepal shouting anti-China slogans and holding placards reading, “Back off China.”

This comes as China’s four-member team led by Guo Yezhou, vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) arrived here on Sunday on a four-day visit in what is believed to be its effort to “assess the ground situation” amid the split in the ruling the Nepal Communist Party (NCP).

According to sources, Guo is expected to meet the senior leaders of both the factions of the NCP.

Gou had last visited Kathmandu on February 2018 when the two communist parties–Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Centre)–were set to merge and form a unified communist party, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Previously, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari had dissolved the Lower House on Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s recommendation. The move has invited 12 petitions in the country’s apex court, claiming it to be “unconstitutional”, including one by former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal who filed the plea on Tuesday.

After dissolving the Parliament, Oli also proposed elections on April 30 and May 10, 2021, nearly two years ahead of the schedule.Seven cabinet ministers had submitted their resignations after the Parliament dissolution was ratified by the President.

Oli has been facing pressure from the rival factions of the NCP, led by former prime minister Dahal and Madhav Nepal.

NCP Pushpa Kamal Dahal-Madhav Kumar Nepal faction on Sunday filed a no-confidence motion against Province 1 Chief Minister Sher Dhan Rai. “The motion was registered at the assembly secretariat this morning after three provincial ministers resigned in response to the sacking of Minister Indra Bahadur Angbo on Saturday,” said Province 1 Parliament Secretariat.

Province 1 is the second province to get embroiled in the ongoing intra-party feud within the NCP after Bagmati Province. Bagmati’s Chief Minister Dor Mani Paudel has said that his government would face the no-confidence motion filed by the dissenting side on Friday.

As many as 37 lawmakers led by Angbo filed the motion and has proposed Bhim Acharya’s name to replace Chief Minister Rai. Ruling Nepal Communist Party has 67 members in the Provincial Assembly (PA) which has 93 members in total. To reach a majority, 47 lawmakers are required, reported Himalayan Times.

Earlier, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Saturday had called a new session of the National Assembly from January 1, nearly a week after the acting Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolved the Parliament.

Also, Oli appointed eight new cabinet ministers and one minister of state on Friday. (ANI)