National
Won’t tolerate changes in Cabinet: Oli
CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has warned the government not to make changes in the Cabinet.CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has warned the government not to make changes in the Cabinet.
With the Nepali Congress preparing to take forces including the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and the Madhes-based parties on board, speculations are rife about Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba ousting the CPN (Maoist Centre) from the coalition for siding with the UML to form a leftist alliance.
Talking briefly to journalists at Singha Durbar on Monday, Oli said the incumbent government has to hold the scheduled polls and that any changes in the poll dates would be unacceptable to the UML. “This government has no authority to defer the elections,” Oli said, giving the Deuba government “caretaker” status.
Recalling the Election Commission’s order to the government to correct appointment of state ministers after the code of conduct came into force, the UML chairman said PM Deuba cannot reshuffle the Cabinet in violation of the election code.
Oli had reached the UML Parliamentary Party Office to take updates from the two panels tasked with dividing electoral constituencies with the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Naya Shakti Party-Nepal and preparing common manifesto for the federal and provincial elections. Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal was also present in the meeting.
According to UML sources, the taskforce headed by UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel is likely to complete the job by Tuesday. Though the taskforce was supposed to arrive at a conclusion by Sunday, differences in the Maoist Centre over its official position in final negotiations had deferred the deadline.
Factors like the results of the second Constituent Assembly elections, the recently concluded local level polls and the popularity of a leader in a constituency would be considered in candidate selection, major leaders of the leftist alliance said.
The team tasked with preparing the election manifesto said it would complete its task by Thursday.