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A New Consensual Government A Big Achievement
By KTM Metro Reporter
May 7, 2012: speaking at the especial function held to celebrate 2556th Birth Anniversary of Lord Buddha in Kathmandu yesterday, Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has said that the first national consensus government formed after the five-point agreement the UCPN-Maoist, NC, CPN-UML and UDMF reached is a big achievement and called on everyone to set aside their political or individual interest for institutionalizing democracy in the country, ‘The Rising Nepal’ of today writes.
However, CPN-UML: one of the signatories of the five-point deal refuses to join the Bhattarai government stating the UCPN-Maoist is trying to bypass the five-point agreement; so, a central committee meeting of the party followed by a standing committee meeting held at party headquarters Balkhu in Kathmandu yesterday has taken a decision on not joining the government. The party also has decided to hold a meeting with the UCPN-Maoist to ascertain the reasons for trying to minimize the status of the CPN-UML party in course of forming a consensus cabinet, accused Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai of ignoring the CPN-UML for sharing power in the government, and strongly opposed the Prime Minister’s unilateral decision on giving the important ministerial portfolios to the Madhesh parties, and the restructuring of some ministries, ‘The Rising Nepal’ of today writes.
The Deuba faction of the NC yesterday decided to stay away from the current government, and bashed the party leadership for sending two men to join the Bhattarai government breaching the party rules and regulations, as it was done without the decision of the Central Working Committee. Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai appointed General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula to the third deputy prime minister and Central Member Surya Man Gurung to a minister following the recommendations of the NC leadership.
Students affiliated to the Vaidya faction of UCPN-Maoist have staged a protest in Kathmandu against alleged Indian interference in forming a national unity government in Nepal according to the PTI news. They took out a torch procession and shut down the vehicular traffic for an hour. "We protest India's direct interference in our internal issues," said Ratna Dhakal, central committee member of the All Nepal National Independence Students Union-Revolutionary. The protesters complained that a senior Indian diplomat was present at the four-party meeting of top leaders of UCPN-Maoist, NC, CPN-UML and UDMF that decided to let the entire cabinet of the Bhattarai-led government quit the office and form a new unity cabinet.
The government has decided to split the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives into the Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation. Chairman of National Cooperatives Federation (NCF) Keshav Badal has said that the government has finally addressed the demand of the Nepalese cooperatives movement for a separate ministry for cooperatives. "A separate ministry was essential for the promotion of cooperatives sector in Nepal. It is the main demand of the cooperatives activists in Nepal; the formation of the separate ministry will help bring the disorganized cooperatives sector into a well ordered system," ‘The Rising Nepal’ of today quotes Chairman Badal.
Political and civil society leaders representing the far-western region have rejected the appeal of Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda, President of NC Sushil Koirala and Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal made to them on Saturday for calling off the indefinite shutdown of the far western region launched demanding to keep the far western region intact in the course of the state restructuring, and have said that the movement is a spontaneous one and will stop only after a political decision is made on not dividing the far western region for federal provinces.
NC lawmaker Ramesh Lekhak has said that the plan of dividing the far western region is for weakening the region but the people of this region will never let it happen, ‘The Rising Nepal’ of today writes. The government has done nothing even after ten days of shutdown of the entire business in the region; so, the government has been irresponsible to the concerns of the people in this region, Lekhak has said. Similarly, other leaders of the region belonging to the UCPN-Maoist and CPN-UML are not for calling off the movement until their demand is met.
The government formed the high-level-talks committee presided over by newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Situala to hold talks with the groups engaged in the movement with the demand for keeping the far western region intact, after the leaders of the major parties supporting the ongoing shutdown of businesses in the far western region have hinted that the shutdown could be ended if the government initiated dialogue at the higher level according to the news posted on the nepalnews.com. Other members on the committee are Minister Barshaman Pun and Minister Mahendra Yadav.
