I/III. http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=UML+headed+for+splitsville&NewsID=276719
<http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=UML+headed+for+splitsville&NewsID=276719>UML headed for splitsville Oli says party may 'pull out of government' over home ministry Added At: 2011-02-16 11:29 PM Last Updated At: 2011-02-16 11:29 PM *HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE* KATHMANDU: The row over the seven-point deal between Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal and UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has grown in intensity within UML, with opponents raising the stakes. UML standing committee member KP Sharma Oli today met Khanal at the UML’s parliamentary party office and warned him against giving the security-related ministries to the Maoists. Former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Oli, Bidhya Bhandari, Bishnu Paudel and Shankar Pokharel formally handed over a joint written note to Khanal and urged him to abide by the party standing committee’s February 6 decision. The standing committee had decided that ‘the security-related ministries would not be given to the Maoists’. This has, until now, prevented Khanal from announcing the Cabinet portfolios. Close aides to the PM feared that those opposing the seven-point deal could go to the extent of splitting the party. Krishna Gopal Shrestha, a central committee member, quoting Oli, said the party might decide to ‘pull out of the government’ if Khanal failed to adhere to the party decision. He said the joint statement produced by Khanal and Dahal on Tuesday was meaningless. However, with the UCPN-Maoist insisting on home portfolio, Khanal is intent on abiding by the seven-point pact. He wants to first have in place the support of two-thirds majority before announcing the portfolios, said an adviser close to the prime minister. Once he ensures participation of two-thirds majority in the government, he can defend allocating the home portfolio to the Maoists in the party’s central committee, said the adviser. As of now, both the factions are bracing for a full-fledged conflict in the party’s central committee, which ordinarily tends to tilt in favour of Madhav-Oli faction. The meeting could come within the next several days. In yet another sign of differences between the two UML factions, Oli was reportedly denied access to the PM’s residence, Baluwatar, on Tuesday evening, as per ‘order from above’. But the prime minister’s acting press adviser Surya Thapa dismissed it as baseless and said security officials had carried out their routine job. II. http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Maoist+establishment+gags+Bhattarai+again&NewsID=276718 Maoist establishment gags Bhattarai again Bars him from speaking his mind before state committee members Added At: 2011-02-16 11:27 PM Last Updated At: 2011-02-16 11:27 PM *RISHI BARAL* POKHARA: Unified CPN-Maoist Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai was once again barred from presenting ‘his views’ before the party rank and file today, second time in the last one month. Earlier, the party establishment had spiked Bhattarai’s guns, not letting him speak his mind in Kathmandu during the party’s training session on January 18. Following the incident, Bhattarai had even boycotted the session. Bhattarai today was speaking in Pokhara at a training programme for the state committee members. Though he was given time to speak, he was not allowed to air his line of the thought. According to a participant, the party establishment barred Bhattarai from speaking his mind, saying he could not present different views at a training programme like this. “The party establishment forced Bhattarai to speak party Chairman Puhspa Kamal Dahal’s line to show unity within the party,” said another participant. During today’s training session, Bhattarai supported Dahal’s line that party would go for a revolt if peace and constitution-drafting processes could not be completed by May 28. Bhattarai, who was against the seven-point deal between the Maoists and UML, has been ploughing a lone furrow, taking exception to quite a few of party decisions in recent past. Today also, Bhattarai was of the opinion that his party alone would not be able to enforce a revolt and that consensus with other parties was a must to accomplish the task of peace and the constitution, but had to stop short of elaborating following the party establishment’s decree not to speak his line further. However, Maoist Chairman Dahal today said his party would go to any length to draft the constitution on time by taking other parties into confidence. But, if Nepali Congress and Madhav Kumar Nepal and Oli faction of UML don’t let that happen, Maoists will go for a revolt, said Dahal. According to another participant, Dahal spoke giving more priority to Ram Bahadur Thapa than Bhattarai. Another Vice Chairman of the party, Mohan Baidhya, however, stood by Dahal echoing the chairman’s line. III. http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Ruling+coalition+in+the+home+stretch+&NewsID=276717 Ruling coalition in the home stretch Ministries finalised: Dahal • Mahara to lead party in govt Added At: 2011-02-16 11:25 PM Last Updated At: 2011-02-16 11:25 PM *HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE* KATHMANDU/POKHARA: Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal today morning conferred with Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal at the latter’s official residence in Baluwatar and discussed the stalled Cabinet expansion. Close aides to Khanal said Krishna Bahadur Mahara would be leading the UCPN-M in the government, along with three ministers initially. UML’s publicity department secretary Surya Thapa said both the leaders discussed sharing of the ministerial berths among the two parties and others that are likely to join the government. According to Thapa, both, in principle, agreed on giving 11 ministries to the Maoists, eight to UML and the rest to other fringe parties, including Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal, which has yet to take an official decision on joining the government. “It was just a proposal, not a final decision,” he said. Though sources in Kathmandu said nothing has been finalised, Maoist Chairman in Pokhara today said his party would be bagging the home ministry. “We have finalised on the ministries to be given to the Maoists, but our standing committee meeting on Thursday morning will decide on who all will join the Cabinet,” said Dahal. He also expressed hope that most of the Madhes-based parties would be joining the government. The Cabinet expansion was stalled due to the Maoist claim to the home portfolio but Dahal shifted the blame for the hitch on some arbitrary forces. “The status-quoists and foreign powers seeking to strengthen their influence in the country are against the Cabinet expansion,” said Dahal. “They may conspire against the deal, but we hope that PM Khanal won’t breach the deal.” -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to greenyouth@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
