Nepal PM Oli further isolated in party; five more leaders ask him to quit

Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli found himself further isolated within his party, with five more leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) reportedly joining in to criticise him and demand his resignation from the PM post and as the chairman of the party, a post he holds jointly with Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. 

The leaders were speaking at the party's standing committee meeting, though the event had to be truncated for a condolence meet at the House of Representatives over the death of a member. A day earlier, senior party leaders, including Dahal and another former PM, Madhav Nepal, had demanded Oli's resignation from both posts. 

Oli is facing increasing opposition from within his party, as well as his electorate. Party leaders have reportedly called him “mentally, physically and ideologically unfit'' to serve in both capacities. One party leader, Matrika Yadav, reportedly said that Oli's recent statements contradicted diplomatic decorum. Oli had, on Sunday, alleged that New Delhi was hatching a plot to oust him, which has irritated senior members of the party. 

India has maintained a diplomatic silence on Oli's recent utterances—he had earlier mocked India's motto Satyamev Jayate and also claimed that the COVID-19 crisis in Nepal was largely imported from India. To the latter, government sources had pointed out that with travel restrictions on both sides of the border, the host government would have screened every Nepali citizen entering the country, so there was no point blaming another country. Also, while Nepal's migrant workforce had returned from various parts of the world, Oli had singled out only India for the blame. 

Actually, the Nepal government's poor handling of the pandemic has got the electorate angry, and they are questioning where the relief packages that the Oli government had promised are. Nepal is grappling with increasing cases and a poor medical infrastructure. On the other hand, the largely tourism oriented economy has suffered a huge blow. 

In a follow up to the Constitution amendment on legalising a new map of Nepal, which includes parts of Indian territories, Oli is trying to push through another legislation, which while appearing as an internal issue, again hits out at India. The Citizenship Amendment Bill, which is slated to be introduced in the lower house, mandates a seven-year waiting period for foreign women marrying Nepalese men and seeking Nepali citizenship. Given the 'bread and bride' relationship between the two countries, the bill is clearly aimed at Indian women. Though there are foreign brides from other countries, too, majority of such women are from India, specially from the Terai region. Oli seeks to balance out the bilateral with India, with Nepal positioning itself as an equal and not a junior partner. Previously, there was no waiting period for wives to apply for citizenship. However, given that India has a waiting period before making spouses eligible to apply for nationality, Nepal is seeking the same. 

This bill, however, is different from the map issue which had united opposing factions under a nationalistic fervour. The citizenship bill has critics within the country. Women's rights organisations are upset that the move will make women very vulnerable in a patriarchal society. There is also criticism that Nepal's Constitution continues to deny equal rights to people. Husbands of other nationalities, for instance, have to wait 15 years before they can be eligible for consideration of citizenship. The LGBT group is also upset with the government, which does not recognise the rights of the gay community. It does not recognise gender gradations, nor same sex unions. 

Oli has always shown his anti-India and pro-China stance. The recent spurt of his anti-India moves has come at a time when tensions between India and China have escalated, with a tragic face-off that killed soldiers on both sides at Galwan in the Ladakh area. Beijing is keen to see him at the help till the term of the government ends in 2023. With the NCP in power, this should have been easy, but with Oli's unpopularity rising in the country and within his party, how long will be be able to keep his two seats? Meanwhile, it is reported that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has publicly supported Oli. But will Khan's friendship help Oli?