Home for UML, MPRF gets Foreign

Power-sharing deal at last

BY GHANASHYAM OJHA

KATHMANDU, Aug 22 - Finally, the three major political parties--Maoist, UML and Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF)--have reached consensus on sharing ministerial portfolios. The parties have also decided to expand the current 21 ministries to 24 by splitting three ministries--Physical Planning and Works, ...

According to the agreement reached after about a four-hour meeting at the Maoist parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar Thursday evening, the Maoists will get nine ministerial portfolios including Defense, Finance and Peace and Reconstruction, while six ministerial portfolios including Home, Local Development and Water Resources have gone into the UML and the MPRF has four ministries including Foreign, Physical Planning, Agriculture and Supply.

However, the parties are yet to reach consensus on Health and Education.

The parties have agreed to expand the cabinet tomorrow while continuing negotiations on their differences.

"We have almost reached consensus on sharing ministerial portfolios and the cabinet will be expanded tomorrow," said Maoist leader Dev Gurung.

The parties have separated Science and Technology, Local Administration, Women, Children and Social Welfare and other ministries for the smaller political parties.

DPM not yet decided

The parties have failed to reach consensus on the post of Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) as the UML and the MPRF have claimed the post. The UML has claimed that the Maoists had promised to provide the post of DPM, while MPRF argued that it had backed the Maoist Prime Ministerial candidate during the recent election on condition it would get the DPM post. The parties have agreed to continue negotiations on the DPM issue.

Following an agreement on sharing ministerial portfolios, the parties have signed in a draft Common Minimum Program (CMP). The parties have agreed to settle the integration of People's Liberation of Army (PLA) in six months. The CMP states that the government will form a high-level security commission to formulate a new security policy in the changed political context. The parties have also agreed to immediately form all the commissions including Disappearance commission and Truth and Reconciliation Commission pledged in the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) in the past. They have agreed to abrogate all unequal treaties of the past.

On economic policy, the parties have agreed to adopt national sovereign economy encouraging private-public partnership. On addressing the issues of youth, the parties in the CMP have agreed to form a high-level youth commission.

Although the parties haven't yet finalized who will lead the concerned ministries, sources said Bamdev Gautam will lead the UML team in the government. Maoist leaders Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Dev Gurung, Ram Bahadur Thapa and Krishna Bahadur Mahara are almost certain to join the government, while MPRF chairman Upendra Yadav is likely to lead his party. Hinting that Gautam will lead the UML team with the Home Ministry, senior UML leader Amrit Kumar Bohara said, "I value my significant role in strengthening my party's organization. Therefore, joining the government is not a big deal for me.

Who has what

MaoistsDefense, Finance, Peace and Reconstruction, Information and Communications, Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Labor and Transport Management, Housing and Rural Development, Land Reforms and Management and Law and Parliamentary Affairs.

Home, Local Development, Water Resources, Forest and Soil Conservation, Youth and Sports and Industry.

MPRF

Foreign, Physical Planning, Agriculture and Supply.