PM-MPRF talks yield no result

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, March 27: Talks between Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and leaders of the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) on power-sharing on Saturday evening yielded no results after the MPRF leaders stuck to their demand for four ministries.

While MPRF leaders staked claim to four major ministries, the prime minister is for giving them not more than three portfolios.


“We clearly said that we need at least four powerful ministries,” MPRF General Secretary Ram Shaya Prasad Yadav, who was present at the meeting, told Republica.
According to him, they have demanded powerful portfolios, including, foreign affairs, energy, local development and agriculture.

He said the talks are underway and that the prime minister was positive toward their demand. MPRF Chairman Upendra Yadav along with other leaders of the party attended the meeting held at the prime minister´s official residence in Baluwatar.

MPRF leaders said it may take another couple of days to finalize the names for the ministerial posts even after they agree on the number of portfolios.

MPRF leader Mohammad Istiyaq Rai said his party has called its parliamentary party meeting on Sunday, political committee meeting on Monday and central working committee´s meeting on Tuesday to discuss the matter.

“The names of the nominees for the ministerial posts will be finalized only after the party meetings,” Rai told Republica. Earlier, MPRF Chairman Yadav, after settling some political issues, had signed an agreement with the prime minister and UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

However, leaders close to the prime minister claimed that Khanal would give MPRF the charge of only three ministries at the most. The MPRF is likely to be given the ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of commerce and supply (or the ministry of industry) and another ministry.

The prime minister has failed to appoint new ministers from his own party as well. So far, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Defense Minister Bishnu Paudel and Minister for Education Ganga Lal Tuladhar have been inducted in his cabinet.

Khanal has given the charge of the ministry of energy, irrigation and commerce and supplies to DPM and Finance Minister Adhikari, ministry of general administration, forest and soil conservation and the ministry of environment to Defense Minister Paudel and ministry of culture, federal affairs and parliamentary affairs and the ministry of science and technology to Minister for Education Tuladhar.

Khanal has kept the home portfolio for himself as the UML and UCPN (Maoist) have both staked claim to the powerful ministry.

“The prime minister is mentally prepared about whom to pick from the UML in the next phase but he wants to induct all the ministers at the same time,” said the prime minister´s press advisor Surya Thapa. He said Khanal will finalize the list of ministers from the UML in consultation with other top party leaders.

Some other small political parties, however, have made nominations for ministerial berths and are ready to join the government.

Chairman Mahendra Yadav from the TMDP-N, Khagendra Prasai from CPN (ML), Jagat Bogati and Yadubangsa Jha from CPN-ML (Socialist) and Sunil Manandhar from CPN (Samyukta) are likely to get ministerial posts.