Cabinet postponed yet again

KATHMANDU, Oct 23 - The crucial cabinet meeting was put off on Thursday, the second consecutive day, as the preparations are being made for the modality of the to-be-formed high-level political committee, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said.The much-anticipated cabinet meeting was expected to form a special committee to decide ...

Talking to journalists after a programme in the capital today, PM Dahal said that the cabinet meeting will take place after preparing the working modality of the political mechanism.

PM Dahal, who is also the chairman of the CPN-Maoist, said that the next cabinet will take decisions on the high-level political committee and the committee for the integration of Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army (NA).

Apparently, the formation of the special committee that was to be formed by Wednesday as per the agreement of the ruling parties failed to take place after the NC and the UML locked horns with the Maoists, who are leading the ruling coalition, over the selection of the headship of the committee.

The opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), had demanded for the review of the working modality of the political committee at Thursday’s meeting of the major four parties.

The major parties failed to reach an understanding yesterday after the NC and the UML stuck to their stance that the integration committee should be headed by a leader from a party other than the CPN-Maoist.

The ruling parties"CPN-Maoist and CPN-UML-- had reached an agreement on Tuesday to form the special committee which is said to be represented by major political parties in the Constituent Assembly (CA) and the opposition besides representatives from the government, the Nepal Army and the Maoist’s People Liberation Army.