Maoists to join govt, head 11 ministries

KATHMANDU, March 3: Backtracking on their demand for the home ministry, the Maoists on Wednesday decided to join the government under the leadership of party foreign department chief Krishna Bahadur Mahara.

A meeting of the party standing committee on Wednesday took a decision to this effect. Party leaders claimed that Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal would give them charge of the home ministry after the process of integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants moves ahead and shows signs of completion.

"We decided to join the government under the leadership of Mahara. We have been allocated 11 ministries in the current coalition and we will finalize the list of candidates joining the government on Thursday," said party spokesperson Dinanath Sharma after the hours-long party standing committee meeting.

Leaders close to the camps led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya and Dr Baburam Bhattarai are not happy with the decision to let Mahara lead the government. Mahara came into controversy over an audio tape in which a voice, allegedly his, asked a Chinese businessman to provide his party Rs 500 million for buying the support of lawmakers from other parties for a Maoist-led government.

The Maoist party is yet to decide the list of leaders joining the government.

According to sources, there is near consensus on the names of Dev Gurrung, Barsaman Pun, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Girirajmani Pokharel and Jayapuri Gharti Magar.

Gurung and Gharti Magar are close to Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya and Rayamajhi is close to Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, while Pokharel is close to Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha. Dahal, Baidya, Bhattarai and Shrestha are the top four leaders of the Maoist party.

According to sources, the Maoists have finalized the party policy and leadership for joining the new government, but they are yet to officially pick the leaders.

Under the policy, the Maoists stated that they would select leaders for the government reflecting ethnic and regional diversity, but the name-list was yet to be decided.

"There will be one candidate each from Janajatis, Madhesis, Newars, Dalits, backward regions and Kirats or Tharus, and two or three women candidates," said Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma.

There are disputes among the top three leaders over who would join the government. Possible candidates are Dev Gurung from Janajati, Hitman Shakya or Hisila Yamai from Newars, Mahendra Paswan or Prabhu Shah from Madhes, Khadga Bahadur Vishwakarma or Tilak Pariyar from oppressed groups or regions, Jayapur Gharti Magar, Amrita Thapa and Pampha Bhusal from among women, Gopal Rai or Padam Rai from the Kirats, and RC Chaudhary or Indrajit Tharu from Tharuwan.

Meanwhile, Maoist leaders Dahal, Gurung, Mahara and party Secretary Post Bahadur Bogati met Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and informed the latter about the party decision to join the government. They demanded that the Maoists be given the post of deputy prime minister, senior-most position after the prime minister, in the coalition.

BOX

The prime minister´s press advisor, Surya Thapa, said that the ministers from the Maoist party would be inducted into the cabinet on Thursday.

“Ministers from other parties will get cabinet berths most likely at another expansion,” he said.

According to sources, the Maoists are likely to bag the portfolios of Foreign Affairs, Peace and Reconstruction, Health and Population, Land Reform, Women, Children and Social Welfare, Labor, Physical Planning and other minor ministries. Leaders close to the prime minister said the names of Maoist ministers and their portfolios will be finalized Thursday.

Sources said the prime minister is going to give the portfolio of Education and Sports to Ganga Lal Tuladhar while another minister, Bishnu Paudel, is likely to get either Ministry of Local Development or Ministry of Energy.

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=28790