The delay in appointing the governor of Nepal Rastra Bank has deepened distrust among the top leaders of the ruling Congress-UML. Congress Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba is dissatisfied after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli postponed the cabinet meeting on Monday, which was supposed to appoint the governor. He did not go to Baluwatar on Monday despite being called by the Prime Minister.

The top leaders of the two parties, who have politicized the process of appointing the governor, have been embroiled in this issue for two months. Although the Governor's Recommendation Committee was formed late on Chait 11, it has not yet held a single meeting. Instead, the committee itself has been reconstituted twice. 

Last time a week ago, according to the proposal made by the Congress to make Vishwa Paudel, who is also the former vice-chairman of the Planning Commission, the governor, the Congress believed that the meeting of the recommendation committee would be held by Monday and the Council of Ministers would appoint him. However, Oli called Deuba to Baluwatar to discuss the appointment of the governor before the meeting of the Council of Ministers which was called at 6 pm. "But Congress President Deuba angrily replied that he will not come to discuss the matter of the governor, whatever the Prime Minister decides, then the Prime Minister adjourned the Cabinet meeting," said a Congress minister. 

Amidst the disagreements between the two leaders, Home Minister Ramesh Ukhtar reached Singhdarbar on Monday afternoon and met the Prime Minister. He had suggested to the Prime Minister to hold a meeting of the recommendation committee on Monday itself and to make an appointment from the Council of Ministers. Oli raised the issue that the person proposed by the Congress for the governorship (Vishwa Paudel) was also a candidate in the parliamentary elections.

"Nepal Rashtra Bank Act 2058 deems members or office bearers of political parties ineligible to be appointed as governor, the Prime Minister has expressed interest in this matter with the Home Minister, and said that there will be legal hurdles in the appointment," said a UML leader. 

However, the Home Minister wrote that the two leaders had already discussed and agreed on the matter of the governor and the individual. Talking to Kantipur about the meeting with the Prime Minister, the writer expressed hope that it would be finalized by Tuesday. 

"The Prime Minister is not sure, I have already talked with the Speaker, he told me to sit and finish it tomorrow, but I did not have the right to say that it should be done today," the author said, "We are hopeful that the process will be completed on Tuesday." After the meeting with the Prime Minister, the Congress leader went to the residence of the party vice-chairman Purna Bahadur Khadka for internal discussions. Prime Minister Oli discussed with UML ministers and leaders in Baluwatar. 

Even in the Supreme Court, a petition has been filed regarding Paudel's matter, but it has not been registered. Supreme Court registrar Bhadrakali Pokharel filed a petition filed by advocates Vishal Thapa and Pratibha Upreti claiming that Paudel is unfit to be the governor. The writ petitioner has approached the bench against the order of the bench. The bench will decide on Tuesday whether the petition submitted by them regarding Poudel will be registered or the bench will uphold it.

Congress leaders have been claiming that there will be no legal hurdles during the appointment as they do not belong to any political party. Party chairman Deuba has clearly said that there is no problem in appointing Vishwa Paudel as some judges and even the president were members and activists of the party at one time or another. was advocating. 

The Congress initially nominated Gunakar Bhatt, the executive director of Rashtra Bank, for the governorship. Although Bhatt resigned from the post of executive director on 5 Baisakh, Kamu Governor Neelam Dhungana did not accept it. Prime Minister Oli asked the Congress to bring another name to replace Bhatt, showing that the resignation was not accepted. Then Deuba gave the name of Poudel, the former vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission. "Deuba became suspicious when Oli began to disagree on Poudel," says a Congress leader.

Paudel, who is also a member of the recommendation committee formed to appoint the governor, has resigned after putting forward his name. Even after more than a week of his resignation, the meeting of the recommendation committee headed by Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel has not been held. "On the one hand, the meeting of the recommendation committee will not be held, and on the other hand, after the Prime Minister called the meeting, Deuba became suspicious," said the Congress leader.

The Congress leaders, who thought that the governor would be appointed last week, were confident that the decision would be taken by the cabinet meeting on Monday. However, suspicion arose after the Prime Minister stopped the meeting of the recommendation committee and said that the Cabinet meeting would be held only after discussions with the Congress leaders. Before the proposal goes to the Council of Ministers, the recommendation committee headed by Finance Minister Paudel has to propose the names of three people including at least one Deputy Governor of Rashtra Bank. It was suggested by the Congress leaders that it would not be appropriate to call the cabinet meeting without its meeting.