During a meeting held with the top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist) and the CPN-UML at the residence of NC President Sushil Koirala on Monday, the NC warned that the Maoists´ fresh bid to reshuffle the cabinet would adversely affect the efforts being made to forge national consensus. [break]
The NC maintained that Prime Minister Khanal must step down immediately as per the five-point deal instead of reshuffling his cabinet.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said the NC told the Maoist and UML leaders that they cannot support cabinet reshuffle by the prime minister who has agreed to step down immediately in the five-point deal reached before the extension of the Constituent Assembly (CA) term on May 28.
"We want the implementation of the five-point agreement. The prime minister has agreed to tender resignation in the deal. The deal has also been endorsed by parliament. We have clearly said the NC cannot support any reshuffle in the cabinet in this situation," Dr Mahat said.
Dr Mahat said the cabinet reshuffle bid will also seriously hinder the implementation of the five-point deal. "One of the points agreed upon by the three major parties in the five-point deal was the immediate resignation of prime minister," he argued.
Prime Minister Khanal, senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, prime minister´s political advisor Prakash Jwala and Minister Ghanashyam Bhusal from the UML and Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Vice-chairmen duo Mohan Baidya and Dr Baburam Bhattarai and General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa from the UCPN (Maoist) had attended the meeting. NC President Koirala was accompanied by Dr Mahat and Dr Minendra Rijal.
Earlier in the afternoon, Maoist Chairman Dahal had handed over the names of new ministers from his party to Prime Minister Khanal for administering oath of office and secrecy. The meeting with NC was held after the prime minister expressed his unwillingness to reshuffle the cabinet without holding talks with the main opposition NC.
Maoist Vice-chairman Bhattarai told media persons that they asked the NC to take their proposal to reshuffle the cabinet positively. "We have decided to send a new team of ministers to make the cabinet more inclusive. This does not mean that we are against national consensus. National consensus government is a priority for the Maoists too," he said.
Dr Bhattarai said they will wait till Tuesday morning for the swearing-in as the prime minister has said he would take decision only after holding consultation within his party. "Of course, the NC has objected to the cabinet reshuffle. But that is the duty of the opposition party," he added.
When asked what the prime minister would do given the stiff opposition from the NC, prime minister´s political advisor Prakash Jwala said the prime minister will act as per the decision of the party´s standing committee scheduled for Tuesday morning. He said that the prime minister is not in favor of reshuffling the cabinet without bringing opposition parties into confidence.
Jwala said the three parties have also decided to hold further meetings to forge consensus on national unity government and take the constitution drafting and peace process forward by settling all the contentious issues.
House put off after NC obstruction
The legislature-parliament meeting on Monday was put off after obstruction from the main opposition NC.
NC Chief Whip Laxman Ghimire objected to the house proceedings stating that the prime minister was trying to reshuffle the cabinet instead of tendering resignation as per the five-point deal.
The UCPN (Maoist) on Sunday nominated 24 new ministers under the leadership of Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shreshtha to send into the government.
Speaker Subas Nembang has called the next meeting of the parliament for 3 pm on Tuesday.
NC Spokesperson Nabindra Raj Joshi said the party will strongly present itself in parliament in coming days if the prime minister failed to tender his resignation. "We will adopt any strategy as per our parliamentary party´s decision for sincere implementation of the five-point agreement," Joshi told Republica.
A parliamentary party meeting of the NC on Sunday had decided to adopt all measures to exert pressure on Prime Minister Khanal to step down to pave the way for the formation of a national consensus government.
Joshi warned that the NC would remain firm on its stance until their demands are met.
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