Kathmandu. After taking charge of the Ministry of Finance for the fifth time on Ashad 16, 2002, Bishnu Prasad Poudel has had many opportunities in appointments under the ministry.
Important appointments in the capital market such as the Investment Board, Securities and Exchange Board of Nepal, Insurance Authority, Nepal Stock Exchange, Nepal Rastra Bank are being made during the tenure of Finance Minister Poudel. Finance Minister Poudel has appointed Sushil Gyawali, close to the UML, to the Investment Board. But Minister Poudel has been weak in other important appointments.
People close to the Nepali Congress have already taken appointments in the Securities and Exchange Board of Nepal, Insurance Authority, and Nepal Stock Exchange. Similarly, the governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank is almost certain to be taken by the Congress.
Minister Poudel’s move in appointing the board chairman
Finance Minister Poudel had taken a devious step in appointing the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of Nepal, which has become very controversial. When Barshaman Pun was the finance minister, Finance Minister Poudel had approached Chairman KP Sharma Oli saying that Santosh Narayan Shrestha should be made the board chairman at all costs. Prime Minister Oli had pressured the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to make Shrestha the board chairman by any means.
But the then Finance Minister Pun and Prime Minister Prachanda did not accept the proposal. The government immediately collapsed over the issue of the board chairman. After this, Prime Minister Oli and Finance Minister Poudel also moved forward with the process of appointing the board chairman. Prime Minister Oli was in favor of changing the character as Santosh Narayan Shrestha had been heavily touted as the board chairman. For this, Prime Minister Oli had also tried to convince some middlemen. Prime Minister Oli had tried to cancel the process of appointing the chairman and take the new chairman from the cadre of the Emalai.
Finance Minister Poudel did not agree to this proposal of the Prime Minister’s Office. He continued to use diplomatic tactics, saying that there was no alternative to Shrestha as the chairman. According to sources, after this strategy of the Prime Minister, Minister Poudel had put forward Foreign Minister Arju Deuba. UML leaders were suspicious of Finance Minister Poudel because he did not want to make a cadre from the UML as the board chairman.
After Foreign Minister Deuba pressured Prime Minister Oli to make Santosh Nayayan Shrestha the board chairman, Prime Minister Oli agreed to make the controversial character the board chairman. According to sources, after CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel looked for a person close to him as the board chairman, Finance Minister Poudel put forward the character of a middleman.
Similarly, the general agreement that the Insurance Authority would be given to the Nepali Congress had already been reached. Shankar Pokharel and Bishnu Rimal had also tried to make Ram Sharan Pudasaini, a close ally of the UML, the chairman of the Insurance Authority. But they were not successful. Sharad Ojha has already been appointed as the chairman of the Authority.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) was also not appointed by the UML cadre. On the contrary, even though Narad Luitel’s name had been approved by the Council of Ministers, the decision was reversed and Chunamani Chapagain was appointed.
The National Bank is also in the Congress’s favor
The ruling coalition is now in a quandary over the appointment of the Governor of the National Bank. Even though the Finance Minister himself is the coordinator of the selection committee, it is almost certain that he will fail to get the appointment of someone close to the UML. Prime Minister Oli, who was confident that the UML would take the Governor of the National Bank after the Securities and Exchange Board of Nepal, Nepse and Insurance Authority, is shocked when the Congress itself sought a role in the appointment of the Governor. Currently, 2 important appointments are vacant. Governor of the National Bank and Chief Commissioner of the Election Commission. Sources claim that there is a rough agreement that one Congress and one UML will take these two posts. However, the Nepali Congress is pressuring to quickly finalize the person it has named as the governor. But the UML wants to prolong the governor appointment process and appoint the commission and the governor on the same day.
Poudel and Pokharel face to face
A fierce power struggle is going on within the party between NCP-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel and UML Vice President Bishnu Poudel. Pokharel, who played a key role in forming the Congress-UML government, wanted to stop Finance Minister Poudel at all costs. Pokharel, who was defeated in the 2079 elections, wanted to send another person to replace Poudel as much as possible. But Poudel succeeded in becoming the Finance Minister after a major power struggle. Even though Poudel is the Finance Minister, Shankar Pokharel is working hard to take control of the ministry in a subtle way. The Shankar Pokharel group has been interested in the change of secretary since the transfers and promotions within the ministry.
A UML leader said, “There is a big power struggle between the two leaders. If we go to General Secretary Pokharel with any work, he says he wants proof of faction change or commitment.” According to the leader, the Congress has also benefited from the increased tension within the party and in appointments. If a UML close person gets an appointment, then Shankar Pokharel will put forward his own person, so instead of making Pokharel powerful, the Congress candidate is putting forward Poudel.
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