The prime minister´s direction and assurance to the foreign ministry officials came at the end of a meeting called to settle the row over the MRP design at his official residence on Sunday, according to a source, who attended the meeting.[break]
“The ministry is most likely to sign a deal with the French security printer on Monday following the prime minister´s direction and assurance,” the source told Republica on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to media about the meeting.
The row sparked after Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala declined to approve MRP insignias protesting the ministry officials´ decision to award the multi-million MRP tender to Oberthur. Koirala´s non-cooperation has delayed the signing of the deal with the French printer, raising fears that Nepal may also miss the revised January 1, 2011 deadline to introduce MRPs.
“The prime minister said that Deputy Prime Minister Koirala will endorse the design in the first place and if she declines to do so, he himself will approve it,” the source quoted the prime minister as saying at the meeting.
A cabinet meeting held last week had authorized the prime minister to end the row over the MRP design.
Koirala, Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Foreign Secretary Dr Madan Kumar Bhattarai, Joint Secretary at the ministry Durga Prasad Bhattarai and Chief of Protocol Mukti Nath Bhatta, who is also the head of the MRP project, attended the meeting.
At the meeting, according to the source, Koirala refused to budge on her decision. As the prime minister asked her to cooperate, she walked out. Koirala did not pick phone calls despite repeated attempts by Republica for her comment.
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