PM reiterates commitment on 7-point deal

KATHMANDU, Feb 13: Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal on Sunday reiterated that he is committed to go ahead as per the seven-point deal even as a section of his party led by former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Sharma Oli are firmly against implementing the pact.



The Nepal-Oli camp in the UML has vehemently objected to the secret deal between and UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal signed just ahead of prime ministerial election. Maoist lawmakers voted for Khanal after the two leaders inked the deal.[break]



Hinting that some points in the agreement needs to be amended, the prime minister, nonetheless, pledged to move ahead in accordance with the spirit of the deal.



He claimed even the UCPN (Maoist) has not abided in letter and spirit of the several agreements signed in the past. "Have the Maoists implemented all of them in letter and spirit?" he threw a counter question responding to the queries of the journalists at a function at Shankar Hotel in Kathmandu on Sunday.



"Implementing guidelines of any agreement in its full spirit is important. Therefore, we are committed to move ahead as per its spirit," Khanal said.



The prime minister declared that the seven-point agreement has already come into effect and that he would move ahead by making some of the ambiguous points in the agreement clear simultaneously.



On the dispute over home ministry, Khanal said the parties were against wasting time wrangling over leading a particular ministry.



"We have been asking the Maoists not to stake claim over the home ministry at this juncture. Discussions are on to find an amicable solution and to give a full shape to the cabinet," he explained.



The prime minister claimed the Maoists will join the government very soon. "Some other parties are also eager to join the government and doors have been kept open for them," he said. He also urged the Nepali Congress to join the government.



Even as the prime minister was reiterating his commitment to the seven-point deal, the Nepal-Oli camp held an informal discussion with around 25 central committee members at the party head office in Balkhu to mount pressure on party chairman Khanal to stop him from implementing the secret deal.

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