PM Khanal in absolute minority in UML SC

KATHMANDU, Aug 2: Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal has found himself in an absolute minority in his party´s standing committee on the issue of inducting new Maoist ministers into the cabinet.



At the 11-member standing committee meeting held on Monday, only party Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam backed party Chairman Khanal´s proposal to reshuffle the cabinet and induct the Maoist ministers. [break]



The rest of the members were against reshuffling the cabinet and wanted to take the issue to the party´s central committee for a final decision.



After hours-long deliberations, the SC meeting passed minutes of the meeting asking the prime minister to stall the swearing-in ceremony and also decided to call the party´s central committee meeting for August 6.



SC members Yubaraj Gyawali, Bharatmohan Adhikari, Amrit Bohara and Siddhi Lal Singh, who have traditionally supported the prime minister, also spoke in favor of stalling the swearing-in ceremony. Vice-chairpersons Ashok Rai and Bidya Bhandari, however, were absent. While Rai is supposedly close to Khanal, Bhandari is loyal to the Nepal-Oli faction.



Prime Minister Khanal and Gautam left the party head office without signing the minutes.



After an overwhelming majority in the SC insisted on taking an institutional decision against inducting new ministers in the cabinet, Prime Minister Khanal called up Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal from the meeting itself and requested him to postpone the swearing-in. As Dahal refused to back down Prime Minister Khanal then requested the SC members not to take any formal decision against the swearing-in and argued that a cabinet reshuffle was his special prerogative.



Nepal-Oli faction to propose withdrawal from govt



Emboldened by overwhelming majority against party Chairman Khanal at the standing committee, the Nepal-Oli faction has planned to table a proposal at the central committee meeting to withdraw the party from the government.



"Since the prime minister, who is also party chairman, clearly showed that he is not going to implement the party decisions, the leaders have made up their minds that a proposal to withdraw the party from the government should be tabled at the central committee and endorsed," said a standing committee member preferring anonymity.



The leader said the new development in the party´s power equation clearly indicated that such a proposal would get endorsed by a clear majority.



However, Minister for the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Ghanshyam Bhusal, who is close to the prime minister, said the rival faction was against his politically proper exit from the government.



"The prime minister´s statement Monday is an effort to create an environment conductive to advancing the peace process. It will help pave the way for his politically proper exit even if it fails to yield any result in the peace process," said Bhusal. "But his rivals don´t want progress in the peace process in the remaining time and they want Khanal´s exit in an unpolitical manner."



The whirlwind turn of events on Monday has caused tremors in the party leadership and rank and file as well.



Party politburo member and spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali couldn´t help mentioning the party´s politics in his Facebook status later at 10 pm.



"Who will follow the party decision if the chairman himself disobeys institutional process? Today will be marked as an unfortunate date in the UML´s history. Will we be able to save the party from being a helpless shadow of others?" stated the party spokesperson´s Facebook status.

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