PM to quit in 12 days if no real progress on peace

KATHMANDU, Aug 1: Immediately after administering oath to new ministers nominated by the UCPN (Maoist), Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal said on Monday that he would step down if the government fails to make concrete progress in the peace process within the next 12 days.



The prime minister said this during a news conference held at his official residence at Baluwatar.[break]



“…if we cannot create a conducive atmosphere for national consensus by August 13 for the completion of major tasks of the peace process, it would be my political and moral responsibility to rethink the current coalition, take new initiatives for implementation of the five-point deal, and quit the government,” said Khanal at the press conference.



According to Minister at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Ghanashyam Bhusal, the government is confident there will be a deal on numbers, standard norms and rehabilitation packages to take forward at least the categorization of combatants into those opting for integration and those for rehabilitation.



Khanal held the news conference to convince other political parties, especially the Nepali Congress (NC) which is obstructing parliament demanding the resignation of the prime minister, that it is necessary for him to stay in government to make substantive progress on the peace process.



Stating that the peace process would not move ahead if the UCPN (Maoist) doesn´t act responsibility, the prime minister appealed to the former rebels to cooperate with the government for safe landing in the political transition.



Khanal urged the NC and the Maoists not to go for exercises to form a majority government. “Forming another majority government would mean leading the country into darkness,” Khanal stated.



On the recent row between himself and the Maoists over reshuffling the cabinet, Khanal said it was the prime minister´s prerogative to decide whether or not to administer oath to minister-nominees, and argued that the issue was settled once the Maoists agreed to send only a small team into the government for now.



The prime minister also vented anger against rivals in his own party for attacking him frequently. “For the first time I would like to make public that I am being attacked from both inside and outside the party,” he stated.

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