Prime Minister Khanal met UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal at his official residence at Baluwatar, Monday morning.[break]
"They delved into various options and agreed to move ahead through mutual understanding," said the prime minister´s press advisor, Surya Thapa.
The prime minister´s aides said he is in no mood to delay cabinet expansion and is under pressure from various sectors to expand the cabinet.
"The prime minister is likely to induct four or five ministers from the Maoists soon. But he will keep the home portfolio himself," said a UML leader. According to him, new ministers from the UML and other parties and ministers from the Maoists will be inducted in the next stage in a few weeks.
"At that time, the Maoists may get the home portfolio because by then there will be some progress in advancing the peace process," the UML leader said.
After the Khanal-Dahal meeting, top leaders from the two parties met at Singha Durbar. Dahal, Vice-chairmen Mohan Baidya, Baburam Bhattarai and Narayankaji Shrestha and General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa from the Maoists, and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, KP Sharma Oli and Ishwar Pokharel from UML participated at the talks.
"We discussed power-sharing. UML leaders informed about their party standing committee meeting but we couldn´t reach any agreement," Shrestha told reporters later.
He said the Maoists will hold their internal meeting and give a final decision soon.
However, UML leader Oli was optimistic the Maoists will join the government even if they are not given home ministry. "I see a hundred percent possibility because Maoist leaders have said in public they are not for wrangling over one particular ministry," he said.
Oli ruled out the UML giving up claim to the home portfolio.
"We are ready for a deal on ministries other than home," he said.
Oli said there are specific reasons for not giving the Maoists security-related ministries. "Due to some special reasons related to ideology and political goals the Maoists shouldn´t head the home ministry," he said. "The peace process will become seriously troubled if they head the ministry."
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