PM preparing to expand Cabinet

KATHMANDU:

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala is preparing to expand his Cabinet by Friday even if his party Nepali Congress’ coalition partner CPN-UML refuses to join the government.

Sources close to Koirala said he would wait for UML’s response till tomorrow on whether it was ready to join the government without the home ministry or not. After that Koirala will induct some ministers from his Congress party by Friday morning, said sources.

Koirala will most likely induct six-seven ministers initially if UML continues to stick to its guns, an NC leader close to Koirala told this daily, adding that the prime minister will divide 27 ministries among them for the time being. Since he was elected the prime minister on February 10, Prime Minister Koirala is running the Cabinet with only one member — Ram Sharan Mahat, who is minister without portfolio.

Prime Minister Koirala held talks with UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel at his residence in Maharajgunj, but nothing substantial came out of the talks.

“Pokharel requested Koirala to induct UML leader Bam Dev Gautam into his Cabinet as deputy prime minister and home minister. But Koirala told Pokharel that he wanted to set a trend that the prime minister’s party should hold home and finance ministries ‘in order to strengthen the prime ministerial system of governance’, as both the ministries are directly related to government functioning,” said a UML leader seeking anonymity.

“I am ready to offer the ministries of UML’s choice (other than home). I request the UML not to be rigid on its stance,” the UML leader quoted Koirala as telling Pokharel.

Koirala told Pokharel that he would wait till tomorrow for UML’s response. The UML has called its standing committee meeting for tomorrow. But Pokharel is learnt to have told Koirala that there was no need to wait for any standing committee decision, as ‘the party is not going to change its stance of not joining the government without home portfolio’.

“We can support the government from outside though, without joining the government,” Pokharel was quoted by sources as telling Koirala.

NC sources close to Koirala told this daily that Koirala had maintained a rigid stance of not letting the UML lead the home ministry.

Source: THT