Skip to main content

Relations between NC and Maoist Center sour

Issues in contention: 
-Handover of govt leadership 
-Failure to announce poll date
-Difference on who should unveil new budget
-Row over appointment of new IGP

With the informal deadline for the transfer of government leadership to the Nepali Congress (NC) fast approaching, relations between the two ruling parties-NC and CPN (Maoist Center) -have soured lately, multiple sources confirmed. After the failure of the government to announce a date for local polls, the NC has grown suspicious over the intentions of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Some NC leaders have accused the Maoists of adopting a strategy of prolonging their stay at the helm of government through dilly-dallying over the local polls.

Earlier, NC and the Maoists had reached an informal understanding on handover of the government leadership to the NC after concluding the local polls by mid-April. But with the prospects of holding the local polls  within the agreed deadline becoming slim, NC leaders have started demanding that Prime Minister Dahal step down to pave the way for the formation of a NC-led government even if the polls are not held. “As per the agreement, Dahal should hand over government leadership to NC after mid-April even if he fails to conduct the local polls,” said influential NC leader Dr Shekher Koirala. 

However, a senior leader of the Maoist party argued that the NC should compromise for a month on taking leadership of the government as it was equally responsible for the delay in announcing the local poll date. “The Maoists alone are not responsible for the delay in announcing the date for local polls. If the NC is ready to go for polls without bringing the agitating Madhes-based parties on board, the Maoists are ready to announce the poll date without waiting for another day,” argued Maoist leader Haribol Gajurel. However, NC leaders fear that the Maoists may not hand over the government leadership even after May as they may be planning to unveil the budget under their leadership. The new constitution has made it mandatory to unveil the budget by the end of May every year.

“The Maoist chairman appears to be trying to prolong his leadership of the government by delaying local polls,” alleged NC lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada. He also accused the Maoists of not working to bring the agitating opposition parties on board the constitution amendment process and negotiating with those parties.  “NC is for holding local polls at any cost at the earliest possible. But the Maoists appear to be working to delay things at least until October,” said Khatiwada.


Besides differences concerning local polls and the handover of government leadership, a fresh dispute has emerged between the chiefs of the two parties over the appointment of the next inspector general of Nepal Police. According to top leaders of the two parties, Prime Minister Dahal is in favor of appointing DIG Nawaraj Silawal as the new IGP, while NC chief Sher Bahadur Deuba wants to appoint Jaya Bahadur Chand. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elections to oppose regional politics: Chair Oli

CPN (UML) chair and former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has said that the upcoming elections will vehemently oppose and respond to the regional politics and forces involved in disharmonizing the social cohesion. Speaking in a program organized to extend thanks to the volunteers, artists and media for their presence and support shown during the party's Mechi-Mahakali Campaign (March 4-18), leader Oli said so. He added that the people will answer those forces by giving a majority seats to his party from upcoming elections. Leader Oli further shared that the party will launch more effective programme in Province No 2 in near future. He added that the Madhesi morcha showed apolitical behaviors against UML during the campaign being intolerable due to fear of ending their illusion against the constitution and UML if UML launched effective and harmonious programs in Tarai. In another context, chair Oli shared that the attorney general suggested the election commission to touch
Post a Comment
Read more

House panel has decided 3 % threshold provision

State Affairs Committee of the Parliament has decided to impose a threshold of three percent and at least one seat under the First-Past-the-Post electoral system to secure seats under the proportional representation system. The committee meeting on Wednesday took the decision to impose the threshold. Earlier, a sub committee formed by the committee decided to impose 3 percent threshold in the upcoming parliamentary election to become national political party. According to the subcommittee member Rameshwor Phuyal, the 27th meeting of the panel decided to provision three percent threshold after the rigorous discussion.  "Any political party must secure at least three percent seat under the Proportional Representation (PR) category and at least one seat under First-Past-the-Post category to become the national political party," said Phuyal.  He hailed the decision of the 11-member panel as historic. The sub-committee was failing to endorse the Bill Related to Political
Post a Comment
Read more

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent The Indian government has pledged to extend 17 percent more in financial aid to Nepal in the next fiscal year, indicating greater enthusiasm of the southern neighbour to support the landlocked country’s development endeavours. The Indian government has allocated a grant of IRs3.75 billion (Rs6 billion) for Nepal in 2017-18, as against IRs3.20 in 2016-17. The allocation was made through the Union Budget 2017-18 launched by Indian Finance Minister Arjun Jaitely on Wednesday.  In addition to the amount, India has also pledged to extend a grant of IRs113.30 million to Nepal Police Academy in 2017-18, the Indian budget document says. The grant pledged for Nepal in 2017-18 is second highest among South Asian countries, with Bhutan leading the pack. The Indian government has expressed commitment to extend IRs37.14 billion in grant to Bhutan in 2017-18. The amount, however, is 4 percent lower than in 2016-17. In total, India h
Post a Comment
Read more