A wary China is rushing a high-level delegation led by a vice minister of the Chinese Communist Party here to assess the ground situation and avert a vertical split in the ruling Nepal Communist Party, according to media reports on Saturday, nearly a week after embattled Prime Minister
KP Sharma Oli got the House of Representatives dissolved.
Nepal plunged into a political crisis last Sunday after Oli, known for his pro-Beijing leanings, in a surprise move, recommended dissolving the 275-member House, amidst a tussle for power with former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”.
Acting on Prime Minister Oli’s recommendation, President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House the same day and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10, sparking protests from a large section of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Prachanda, also a co-chair of the ruling party.
China is sending a high-level delegation led by Vice Minister of the International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Guo Yezhou to Kathmandu, The Kathmandu Post reported.
“Leading a four-member team, Guo is scheduled to land in Kathmandu on Sunday morning on a regular China Southern Airlines flight,” the paper reported, citing sources in both factions of the NCP.
Bishnu Rijal, Deputy Head of Department of Foreign Affairs of the NCP’s Prachanda-led faction, said that the Chinese side has communicated about Gou’s visit to Kathmandu.
“I don’t have much detail to share with you at this point of time,” Rijal was quoted as saying by the paper.
The Chinese embassy here did not respond to its multiple calls and messages, it said.
Although no specific details about the agenda of the visit are available, senior NCP leaders confirmed that Guo is scheduled to land in Kathmandu on Sunday morning, leading a four-member delegation, My Republica newspaper reported.
Observers here believe that the visit could be to assess the ground situation in Nepal following the decision of Oli to dissolve the House of Representatives and the rival faction within the NCP taking to the streets, it said.