Deuba refuses to rule himself out for premiership

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has refused to withdraw from consideration for the premiership.

Speaking during the central working committee meeting on Saturday, Deuba rejected a proposal from party General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma to nominate other leaders as prime ministerial candidates. “I won’t rule myself out of the premiership just because you suggest it. That’s your opinion, but I’m not ready to give up the position yet,” Deuba said in the meeting, according to a central committee member.

Sharma has suggested term limits for leaders in the party and the government in his proposal which he presented in the Mahasamiti Meeting in February.  The central working committee is discussing the proposals that the two general secretaries presented in the Mahasamiti meeting.

Deuba also reminded Sharma of an agreement he had reached with UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli in July, stating that he would become Prime Minister after Oli’s term.

Sharma had earlier proposed that Deuba step aside from the prime ministerial race and instead nominate other party leaders. He suggested several potential candidates, including Shekhar Koirala, Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakash Man Singh, Purna Bahadur Khadka, Shashank Koirala, and Arjun Narsingh KC.

However, Deuba firmly rejected the request to pick party leaders as candidates for prime minister.