PM Oli summons cabinet meeting

KATHMANDU, July 2: Amid intense intra-party rift within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has called a cabinet meeting for Thursday noon.

The meeting is scheduled to be held shortly at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar.

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PM Oli summons cabinet meeting

Earlier on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Oli, who is also one of the two chairmen of NCP, held consultations with some ministers and NCP leaders close to him at his official residence in Baluwatar amid mounting pressure on him to step down from power. Most Standing Committee members who spoke during the meeting on Tuesday argued that Oli had lost the moral grounds to head both the government and the party.   

He also held a separate meeting with President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the latter's official residence a while ago. It has been learnt that PM Oli spent some 40 minutes there. 

Another chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, on the other hand, also held a meeting with the Standing Committee members close to Prime Minister Oli. 

Meanwhile, a meeting of the party's Standing Committee has resumed at the Prime Minister's official residence, Baluwatar. However, Prime Minister Oli is skipping the meeting owing to the cabinet meeting.