Leaders close to Khanal are hopeful that the prime minister may administer oath of office and secrecy to the minister nominees from the UCPN (Maoist) on Friday. [break]
“We are hopeful that the prime minister will get an assurance from the Maoists tomorrow (Friday) on advancing the peace process. He will subsequently induct the new ministers,” Minister for PMO and Council of Ministers Ghanshyam Bhusal, who was closely involved in the bilateral talks, told Republica.
The prime minister held two rounds of talks with top Maoists leaders on Thursday.
PM Khanal, Bamdev Gautam, Surendra Pandey and Bhusal from the UML and Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Vice-chairmen Mohan Baidya, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Narayankaji Shrestha, General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa and Secretary Posta Bahadur Bogati from the UCPN (Maoist) were present during the talks. Bhusal had reached Dahal´s residence at Nayabazaar in the morning to prepare grounds for the talks.
During the talks, the Maoists had strongly pressed Khanal to induct the new ministers without any delay saying it was the party´s official decision.
The prime minister urged the Maoist leaders to appreciate his constraints. “Personally I respect your (Maoists´) right to change ministers from the party but I just wanted to be cautious that the move does not hinder the politics of consensus,” Bhusal quoted the prime minister as saying, “I am more conscious in this matter since we have agreed to follow the course of consensus mainly after the five-point deal.”
Maoist Vice-Chairman Shrestha said they told the prime minister that the cabinet should get a full shape and given continuity until the new national consensus government is formed,” Narayankaji Shrestha told Republica. “In reply, the prime minister told us he would think over the matter and settle it.”
The UML leaders at the meeting had argued that the prime minister was caught in a fix because the Maoists had officially taken the decision while the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has been continuously obstructing the parliament proceedings against the ruling coalition´s decision to reshuffle the cabinet.
According to UML leaders, Khanal urged Maoists to come up with a concrete action plan to make immediate progress in the peace process as there hasn´t been any progress in the peace process for months and the coalition had no time to wait any longer.
Earlier in the afternoon, a standing committee meeting of CPN-UML decided to uphold its previous decision that instructed the prime minister to not reshuffle the cabinet in contravention with the spirit of the five-point deal.
The UML meeting on Thursday suggested to the prime minister that he should give priority to forging consensus among the major three political parties before taking any move.
“The party has suggested to the prime minister to take a decision only after winning the confidence of other parties. He can reshuffle the cabinet after the Maoists are ready to make tangible progress in the peace process and convince the main opposition,” said UML Vice-Chairman Ashok Rai.
UML Secretary Shankar Pokharel, who is believed to be from the Khanal´s rival faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Oli, said the prime minister can reshuffle the cabinet if he can convince the NC.
“But our party´s main priority and suggestion to the prime minister is to create an environment conducive to formation of a national consensus government," said Pokharel.
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