After Deuba’s warning, Oli appoints Nepali Congress nominee as Central Bank Governor

Oli, despite the purported understanding between the two parties that the post will be given to the Nepali Congress, had been delaying the appointment on one or the other pretext. However, he was unable to delay it further after Deuba asked his party’s ministers not to attend the Cabinet meeting scheduled and asked the Prime Minister to honour his promise or face political fallout.

The search committee, which was changed twice even before holding its first meeting, named the Central Bank Governor on Tuesday hours after Oli and Deuba met.

Mahaprasad Adhikari retired from the post five weeks ago, but Oli chose not to fill the post despite the Central Bank rule stipulating that the succession must be decided at least one month before the incumbent retires.
Poudel, a former vice-chairman of the Planning commission, is an economist with a PhD from UC Berkeley on Agriculture and Resource Economics.

He had unsuccessfully contested Parliamentary elections in 2022 as a Nepali Congress candidate.