Mahara to lead Maoist party in govt: Pun

KATHMANDU, Feb 5: Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara will lead the Maoist party in the new government as deputy prime minister, according to Maoist leader Barshaman Pun.

"Party standing committee member Krishna Bahadur Mahara will lead from our side," Pun told Republica.


The party will take an official decision to this effect at its standing committee meeting slated for Saturday.

Pun said the party chairman, three vice-chairmen, general secretary and secretary are unlikely to join the government.

However, Kul Prasad KC, a leader close to the Baidya group, said there is also a possibility that party general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa may lead the party in the government.

At the informal meeting of top leaders on Friday, party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the party vice-chairmen will not participate in the government.

According to sources, party Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha had shown interest in leading the party in the government.

Pun also said UML and the Maoists are yet to discuss power sharing and Prime Minister-elect J N Khanal and Maoist Chairman Dahal will finalize this. Only after that would the Maoist party decide the names of leaders who will join the government.

"Since our party is much bigger compared to the UML this factor should be taken into account while deciding the division of portfolios. We have already made sacrifices from our side," said leader KC.

But various Maoist sources said besides Mahara, Barshaman Pun, Netra Bikram Chand, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and Lilamani Pokharel are likely to join the government. Pun is close to Chairman Dahal, Chand belongs to the Mohan Baidya faction, and Rayamajhi belongs to the Baburam Bhattarai camp.

Though some media reports claim that the Bhattarai faction will not join the government since it has already written a note of dissent against the party´s decision to vote for Khanal, a leader close to Bhattarai hinted that that may not be the case.

"We didn´t write the note of dissent saying we will not join the government," said Rayamajhi.

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=27931