Friday, February 18, 2011

PM Khanal, Dahal parley on cabinet expansion

THT ONLINE

KATHMANDU: CPN-UML chairman and Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ held a meeting at the prime ministerial residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu on Friday.

The meeting is said to have dwelt on the issue of Cabinet expansion that have long stalled, with both the parties staking their claim on home portfolio.

The meeting is also said to have discussed the aspects related with implementation of the seven-point understanding betweent the two leaders.

The home ministry had long remained the bone of contention between the two parties, impeding the process of cabinet expansion, more than a week after Khanal has been sworn in as the new PM.

On Wednesday, a meeting between PM Khanal and Dahal had agreed to allocate 11 ministries including the home and the foreign affairs to Maoists and eight ministries including the finance to UML.

The agreement however could not formalise after UML leaders close to KP Sharma Oli protested the allocation of home ministry to UCPN-Maoist, arguing that the Maoists should not hold any security related portfolio before conclusion of the peace process.

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