Speaking at the party´s CC meeting that resumed Thursday after a week-long hiatus, the UML leaders urged the party leadership and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who were present throughout the meeting, to recall Rawal from the government. [break]
Though the meeting was scheduled to discuss agenda item on state-restructuring model and the number of states to be proposed in the new constitution, some members raised the issue of deteriorating security situation over the last couple of weeks.
According to a leader present at the meeting, CC member Yogesh Bhattarai, who is believed to be close to party chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, demanded Rawal´s resignation. “Both the prime minister and home minister represent our party and the security situation is deteriorating day by day in the recent weeks. It has badly tarnished UML´s image,” a member quoted Bhattarai as saying in the meeting.
“Media entrepreneurs have been shot dead one after another within a month. Business persons have been terrorized due to threats they have been receiving frequently. Senior police officers themselves have sought security from the office,” Bhattarai pointed out the home ministry´s failure.
Other members also expressed concern over deteriorating law and order situation. Khanal had to interrupt the members when they deviated from the set agenda.
“It is true that the security situation has deteriorated. The party is concerned over the matter and it can´t remain a silent spectator in such a situation. This meeting instructs the government leadership to be serious about ensuring security to the people,” Khanal said in the meeting. The discussion got back to the issue of state restructuring only after Khanal´s ruling.
A majority of members suggested reducing the number of states proposed by the Constituent Assembly (CA) committee on state restructuring arguing that delineating the country into too many provinces would not be economically viable.
Vice Chairman Bamdev Gautam, Finance Minister Surendra Pandey, prime minister´s chief advisor Raghuji Pant, Bijay Paudel, Khagaraj Adhikari and Thakur Gaire, among others, also spoke in the meeting.
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