NC presses PM against cabinet reshuffle

KATHMANDU, July 31: The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) on Sunday renewed its call to the prime minister not to reshuffle the cabinet, saying that such a move goes against the five-point deal. NC leaders also told the prime minister that they would continue House obstruction until the prime minister resigns as per the five-point deal.



Prime Minister Khanal and CPN-UML leader Surendra Pandey had visited the residence of NC President Sushil Koirala in Maharajgunj Sunday morning to urge the NC to withdraw protest. NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel was also present at the meeting.[break]



Paudel said the prime minister indirectly asked the NC to support a cabinet reshuffle saying that he would give the Maoists a 10-day deadline to settle combatant integration issues including the standard norms for integration, integration numbers, rank harmonization and integration modality.



"The prime ministers said he would break the coalition and step down if the Maoists failed to agree on the issues within the deadline," he said.



NC leaders supported the prime minister´s decision to issue a fresh deadline to the Maoists on the peace process and asked him to stick to the letter and spirit of the five-point deal. They also said they would continue their protest in parliament until the deal is implemented.



Although the prime minister did not specifically mention about his plan to reshuffle the cabinet as demanded by the Maoists, NC leaders told him not to bow down to Maoist pressure. "Any expansion or reshuffle of the cabinet will amount to serious violation of the five-point deal," Paudel told the prime minister.



Among other things, the five-point deal reached on May 28 before the CA extension says the prime minister would resign to pave the way for formation of a national consensus government.

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