PM Khanal fails to shape new cabinet

RSS

KATHMANDU: The UCPN-Maoist has decided not to join the Khanal-led government until division of ministries in the new cabinet was finalised.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal was scheduled to form a small cabinet with members from the Maoist and the UML parties.

The Maoist party said that formation of the Council of Ministers could not take place today after the standing committee meeting on Sunday of the UML announced the names of three leaders to represent from the party side in the Khanal cabinet.

The UML had approved the name of party leaders for Finance, Home and Education Ministries.

The Maoist party was hesitant to propose the name of leaders to join the Khanal government after the UML proposed Bishnu Poudel as the Home Minister by violating the past agreement, said a Maoist source. Earlier, an agreement had reportedly been held to offer the Home Ministry to the Maoist party.

Maoist spokesperson Dinanath Sharma said that the party’s standing committee meeting scheduled for Sunday afternoon was postponed after the sudden proposal by the UML.

Sharma said, “We decided not to hold the meeting at the last hour after the UML claimed different ministries in contrary to yesterday’s consensus.”

Immediately following the UML decision, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ rushed to UML parliamentary party office, Singha Durbar, to meet newly elected Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal.

During the meeting, the two leaders decided to hold further discussions on portfolio division and thereby not constitute the Council of Ministers for today.

Maoist vice chairman Narayankaji Shrestha said that the party leaders were surprised by the UML’s new decision to claim for the Home Ministry.

He said the Maoist was not in a mood to leave its claim for the Home Ministry and told RSS that the UML should rethink its decision.

Similarly, a leader of the Maoist, requesting anonymity, said he smelled rat over the UML decision and said the UML decision came out to hamper the coordination as per the design of UML leader KP Oli.

The leader warned that such acts would invite problems to the consensus and the Khanal group in the party should be cautious about it.