Cabinet reshuffle next week: PM

(Updated with NC´s comments at 1921 NST, 1336 GMT)

KATHMANDU, March 21: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on Saturday that the Council of Ministers will be reshuffled by next week.



After addressing a program organized by the National Dalit Commission (NDC), PM Dahal told journalists that the reshuffle will take place with possible participation of the main opposition, Nepali Congress (NC). He said he has been in regular discussion with the NC. [break]



"The cabinet will be reshuffled very soon, by next week; I say that confidently," the PM told journalists. "I also talked with Girijababu (NC president Girija Prasad Koirala) day before yesterday. Discussions are going ahead in a positive direction. However, no decision has been reached so far."



The 23-member cabinet, led by Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), has four parties onboard – UCPN-Maoist, CPN-UML and Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF).



Addressing the NDC program, Dahal also said the reshuffled cabinet will have two Dalit ministers. He also promised to introduce a bill in the next session of the House in order to make the NDC a constitutional commission. He complained that those participating in the government have been acting like opposition.



NC so far has remained reluctant to join the government. Talking to myrepublica.com, NC spokesperson Arjun Narsingh KC ruled out any possibility of his party joining the government any time soon.

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"NC has decided in last April to fight for democratic polity, rule of law and individual liberty by remaining in the opposition," he said. "The party has not changed the decision and there is no such circumstance to change it now."

Neither the ruling Maoists have implemented the agreements (from 12-point understanding of 2005 to present) nor have they demonstrated their will to run the country through consensus, said KC. "There is no question of NC changing its decision now."

Instead, he added, the government has destroyed entire bureaucratic structure, demoralized the army and politicized the whole government institutions. "In such a situation, we can´t join the government just to become a mute witness to such bullish and authoritarian decisions of the Maoists," said KC