The central working committee meeting of Nepali Congress kicked off on Thursday, starting with a performance review of the party’s nine ministers in the Pushpa Kamal Dahal Cabinet.

According to a statement issued by the party, a total of 13 central working committee members spoke at Thursday’s meeting.

Congress leaders who spoke on the occasion told the Post that most members criticised the party’s ministers, citing their inability to deliver satisfactory results. They also asked the party top brass to prepare criteria for selecting candidates for the upcoming National Assembly elections.

The ruling party is also mulling replacing its under-performing ministers. Congress publicity department chief Min Bishwakarma said his party would not obstruct the prime minister if he wants to reshuffle his Cabinet.

According to a Congress leader, Prime Minister Dahal and Congress chief Sher Bahadur Deuba had already discussed and agreed on a Cabinet shake-up. However, Deuba has asked Dahal to wait until the Congress Mahasamiti meeting, which is slated for February 19-22.

“We are holding the Mahasamiti meeting and elections to the National Assembly are also at hand. Therefore, let’s postpone the issue of Cabinet reshuffle until after the Mahasamiti meeting,” Bishawkarma quoted Deuba as telling Dahal.

In the parliamentary system, the issue of who will be appointed a minister is the prime minister’s discretion. “Our meeting will assess Congress ministers’ performance and also discuss replacing the underperforming ones,” said Bishwakarma.

In Thursday’s meeting, half a dozen central working committee members including Dila Sangraula, Dilendra Prasad Badu, Mukta Yadav, and Krishna Chandra Nepali criticised the performance of the party’s ministers, according to Ajay Babu Siwakoti, a central committee member.

“As per the spirit of the coalition, the prime minister can reshuffle his Cabinet any time,” said Bishawkarma. “The prime minister needs a Cabinet that suits him and one he feels comfortable working with.”

As per the schedule of the Congress meeting, all nine of the party’s ministers have been asked to present their performance reports. Accordingly, Minister for Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet presented a report on his accomplishments and initiatives.

Basnet told the meeting that he was trying to create 30,000 posts of health service providers, but the plan had stalled. He argued that the country needs an additional 92,000 health personnel. As of mid-July 2020, Nepal had 90,946 health personnel, including doctors, specialist doctors and health workers. But the number decreased to 90,369 by mid-March of 2021, according to the Economic Survey 2020-21.

“We have to add 800 qualified doctors into the system. Among the required 92,000 personnel, efforts are being made to recruit 30,000,” said Basent, “I have also worked for effective implementation of the health insurance scheme.”

Some party leaders including Shashank Koirala said replacing ministers was no solution. “We need to push our ministers to get the work done,” said Koirala while talking to reporters at the party headquarters in Sanepa. “I am aware that our ministers are not performing well, but I can’t figure out why they have not been able to perform,” he added.

Koirala said Congress ministers might have their own difficulties and he was not in favour of their replacement.

Nainsingh Mahar, central working committee member, questioned why the mechanism for the operation of all three levels of government has not been implemented.

He also called for the party to formulate a policy for approaching other political parties. “We need to define our party's official stance towards opposition parties,” Mahar said.

In the meeting, central member Devendra Kandel said that those who lost elections should not be made candidates for the National Assembly. Almost all members echoed Kandel. "Let's give opportunities to those who haven’t gotten them. Let's set a standard," said Kandel

The meeting is expected to continue for two more days. The meeting fixed five different agenda items—performance of ministers, national reconciliation day, Mahasamiti meeting, and other contemporary issues—for discussion, according to Jeevan Pariyar, a joint general secretary.

The meeting was informed that Congress workers built 407 temporary shelters in Jajarkot and Rukum for the people whose houses were destroyed in the recent earthquakes, he said.