Parties agree to split yet another ministry to address demands

Ministry of agriculture and cooperatives to be split into ministry of agriculture and ministry of cooperatives and poverty eradication

Gachchhadar still hopeful of getting home ministry, UML leaders rule out

MPRF finalizes names for ministers

KATHMANDU, June 15: Five main ruling parties on Monday come up with an option to resolve the differences among the coalition partners over portfolio-sharing by splitting yet another ministry.

The ruling parties -- Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML, Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF), Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), and Sadbhavana Party (SP) -- held a marathon meeting at the prime minister´s residence in Baluwatar after top leaders of the three Madhes-based parties expressed serious objection to NC-UML deal on power-sharing. [break]

A proposal to split the ministry of agriculture and cooperatives into ministry of agriculture and ministry of cooperatives and poverty eradication was discussed in the meeting, according to a leader present in the meeting. "Probably the TMDP, which has been insisting for three ministries will be given the two ministries as well as the ministry of industry," the leader said. This will be finalized in Tuesday´s meeting.

"The chances of TMDP getting three ministries have increased," Jitendra Sonal, joint general secretary of the party, told myrepublica.com.

Another option discussed in the meeting was to increase the number of state ministers for the Madhes-based parties.

He said the three parties mainly pressed NC and UML leaders to review the agreement they had reached without consulting the Madhes-based parties.

"MPRF will be given four cabinet and four state ministers," said a UML leader. The leader claimed that Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Gachchhadar, who had publicly said that the MPRF faction led by him might walk out of the government if he was not given the home ministry, was no more adamant on his stance during the meeting.

However, a senior MPRF leader claimed that NC President Girija Prasad Koirala has been pressing Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to appoint either senior UML leader KP Oli or Gachchhadar as home minister.

But, a UML leader present in the meeting claimed that there will be no change in the ministries which had already been allocated to the NC and UML.

Another UML leader said MPRF was vying for five ministries including one ministry without portfolio.

The five-party leaders are scheduled to sit again on Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, MPRF has finalized the names of its leaders to be inducted into the cabinet. Accordingly, Sharat Singh Bhandari, Jitendra Dev, Upendra Jha and Rameshwar Raya will be sent to the cabinet.

Earlier, the dispute between the two largest ruling parties -- Nepali Congress and CPN-UML -- over power sharing was settled by splitting the ministry of water resources into ministry of water resources and ministry of energy on Sunday.

thira@myrepublica.com