Jayapuri Gharti, Mahendra Paswan, and Dhruba Kumar Limbu from the hard-line faction led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya did not turn up at the oath-taking ceremony. [break]
Paswan, who was the minister for land reforms in the coalition formed after the CA election, has been nominated as the minister for industry and commerce, Gharti as the minister for women, children and social welfare, while Limbu has been nominated as a state minister without allocating any ministry to him.
“It is a blatant suppression of our party line [political line of revolt floated by Baidya]. It is an outcome of the chairman´s monopolistic mindset,” said a minister nominee from Baidya faction.
Gharti Magar has stated that Dahal violated the party´s norms by not nominating 33 percent women for the ministerial berths. “We fought the People´s War for inclusion. On which moral basis should I join the government,” said Gharti.
Similarly, Paswan is not happy with the portfolio. Bishwanath Sah from the Dahal faction, who joined the Maoist party from Ekata Kendra Masal, got the powerful ministry of peace and reconstruction, while Paswan who had defeated Sah during the CA election, got the ministry of industry and commerce.
Limbu followed suit after Gharti and Sah decided to boycott the ceremony. “We will hold serious discussions on the issue and move ahead accordingly,” said Gharti.
The last central committee (CC) meeting of the Maoist party had handed over the task of nominating ministers from the party to Dahal. On Tuesday, Baidya and Dr Baburam Bhattarai-led faction had submitted their own lists of leaders to Dahal for ministerial berths.
Meanwhile, Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Barshaman Pun resigned for not being given the home ministry. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications Krishna Bahadur Mahara has been given the home ministry portfolio, while Agni Prasad Sapkota has been appointed as the minister for information and communications.
Prime minister incompetent: Pokharel
The UML factions close to leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Oli have taken strong exception to the prime minister´s decision to give home ministry to the Maoists. “The prime minister´s decision is the outcome of the failure of his leadership. The decision has seriously raised question over his competence as a leader,” said UML Secretary Shankar Pokharel.
Pokharel argued that Khanal should either have convinced the party or stood by the party´s decision. The party was in the dark about Khanal´s sudden decision to give the home ministry to the Maoists.
The standing committee of the UML had decided not to give the Maoists the charge of security-related ministries without the peace process and constitution drafting showing signs of completion.
During his meeting with Oli and Nepal on Tuesday, Khanal had not revealed anything about the decision. According to sources, Khanal telephoned party General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel and asked the latter to postpone the politburo meeting slated for Thursday. But Pokharel is learnt to have declined Khanal´s instructions.
“The prime minister´s decision is against the party´s interests. Now the question is what direction the peace and process and constitution drafting would take under his leadership,” said a UML standing committee member.
From UCPN (Maoist)
Krishna Bahadur Mahara - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs
Shakti Basnet - Health and Population
Agni Sapkota - Information and Communications
Mahendra Paswan - Industry and supplies
Biswanath Sah - Peace and Reconstruction
Prabhu Sah - Law and Justice
Japuri Gharti - Women, Children and Social Welfare
Hit Bahadur Tamang -Youth and Sports
State Ministers
Dharmasila Chapagain
Devi Khadka
Haki Kulla Khan
Dhruba Kumar Limbu
From UML
Ghanashyam Bhusal - Minister without portfolio
From Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF)
Upendra Yadav - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
Hari Narayan Yadav - Agriculture
Mohammad Istiyak Rai - Labor and Transport Management
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