After a month-long wrangling between the ruling CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) over heading the Home Ministry, the prime minister and Dahal had agreed to shelve the home portfolio row for the time being and the prime minister inducted four Maoist ministers in the cabinet keeping the home portfolio with himself as per an understanding with Dahal. [break]
The prime minister did so as his rival factions in his party are opposed to giving security-related ministries to the Maoists. Dahal´s opponents in the Maoist party refused to join the government without the party getting the home portfolio.
As Khanal and Dahal are planning to give full shape to the eight-member cabinet, leaders from the ruling UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML are making conflicting interpretations regarding when will the Maoists become qualified to head the home ministry.
A faction led by Maoist Senior Vice-Chairman Mohan Baidya thinks the party should be given charge of the ministry immediately. He says a Maoist leader should be appointed home minister in the next round of cabinet expansion as per the agreement between the two parties a head of first cabinet expansion on March 4.
"A leader from our party will be appointed home minister in the next cabinet expansion no matter what leaders from other parties have said," Baidya told Republica.
However, leaders close to Khanal say the prime minister is going to keep the home portfolio for himself until significant progress is made in the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants.
"Maoists will be given the charge of the home ministry only after the special committee comes up with a calendar of events, sets the modality and number of the combatants for integration and rehabilitation," said a leader closely working with the prime minister.
Leaders from the prime minister´s rival faction led by former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and K P Sharma Oli in UML are vehemently against the Maoists heading security-related ministries.
UML Secretary Shankar Pokharel from the faction says Maoists can be allowed to head the ministry only after certain progress is made in the peace process.
"The tasks of re-grouping the Maoists combatants into two groups [those opting to join security agencies and those prefering rehabilitation in society -- and detaching them from their arms must be completed before giving the Maoists the charge of the home ministry," he explained.
Pokharel said that PLA security details of the top Maoist leaders, who already have been provided government security, should be removed before the Maoists are given the ministry.
Also, it is going to be very difficult for the prime minister to double as home minister because Khanal will remain busy in pressing national political issues and overall administration of the country. The pressure to appoint a home minister is growing on the prime minister following the murder attempt on media entrepreneur Yunus Ansari inside the central jail.
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