The two key ruling parties are at odds as a cabinet reshuffle and the election for National Assembly chair loom. A Standing Committee meeting of the CPN (Maoist Centre) on Tuesday took exception to some of the contents and issues that were discussed in the recently concluded Mahsamiti meeting of the Nepali Congress. The party also hardened its position against ceding the post of National Assembly chair to the Nepali Congress.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is waiting for Nepali Congress’ nod for a Cabinet reshuffle, wants to remove some ministers including those from the Congress, but no understanding has been reached among the ruling partners, according to leaders.

“In a recent meeting between our party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and Prime Minister Dahal, our party president had told the prime minister that the latter was free to decide on Cabinet reshuffle,” said Min Bishwakarma, head of the publicity department of the Nepali Congress.

Deuba, in his meeting with Dahal, had reassured him not to be suspicious about the fate and future of the alliance and not to worry about the issues discussed at the Mahasamiti meeting.

According to leaders of the Nepali Congress and Maoist Centre, Prime Minister Dahal wants to replace Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, but Deuba has his reservations about removing Mahat.

That is why no understanding has been reached on a Cabinet reshuffle, according to leaders of the two parties. Several other ministers from all five ruling partners are under scrutiny.

During the Maoist Centre’s Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday, according to the Maoist spokesman Agni Sapkota, “serious discussions” were held on some of the issues raised at the recently concluded Congress Mahasamiti.

In the Mahasamiti meeting, Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa’s political paper vehemently opposed the idea of electoral alliances and called for the party to fight the upcoming elections independently. Thapa’s paper was endorsed by the Mahasamiti and has been forwarded to the party Central Working Committee for finalisation.

“Since the Nepali Congress is gradually building its position against electoral alliances, why should we cede them the post of National Assembly chair,” said a standing committee member, adding, “We told the prime minister not to be too generous towards the Nepali Congress and offer the upper house chair to the party.”

Maoist leaders cite two reasons to support their claim to the post of National Assembly chair.

They argue that the Maoist Centre emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly, so it has a natural claim over the post.

Their other argument is that the party will have no representation in the Constitutional Council after 11 months if the post of National Assembly chair is given to the Nepali Congress.

As per a purported agreement in the ruling coalition, around 11 months remain for Dahal to serve as prime minister. So the Maoist Centre will have no representation in the Constitutional Council once Dahal hands over the premiership to another leader of the ruling alliance.

Some Maoist standing committee members, reportedly, also expressed concerns and reservations over the report presented at the Mahasamiti by Congress Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka. Khadka’s report says the Maoist insurgency was unreasonable and some seen and unseen forces were responsible for undermining the 1990’s constitution and derailing the progress of the country.

Maoist Centre leaders like Barshaman Pun, Janardan Shama, Haribol Gajurel, and Sunil Poudel among others criticised Khadka’s report and urged the prime minister to take up the matter with the leaders of the Nepali Congress, according to participants of the meeting.

The leaders on Tuesday argued that as a member of the ruling coalition and a major party to the peace process that has yet to be concluded, it was unbecoming of the Nepali Congress to criticise the Maoist movement.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Dahal did not make any commitment regarding the appointment of upper house chair, but indicated that since the Maoist Centre is a key partner in the ruling alliance, it demands some compromise and flexibility.

“I will examine all possibilities thoroughly,” Dahal said at the meeting, according to a standing committee member.

Nepali Congress has proposed its senior leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula as its candidate for upper house chair, but there is a growing sentiment in the Maoist Centre that the Congress has betrayed the Maoists in several elections including the recent National Assembly elections.

In recent days, Sitaula also had a meeting with Dahal and expressed his interest in assuming the post of National Assembly chair of the ruling coalition in the event of a political crisis in the ruling coalition, a leader close to Sitaula said.

Earlier, after a tacit understanding among the ruling coalition partners that Sitaula would be the ideal candidate for the National Assembly chair, he had decided to contest the upper house election, the Nepali Congress leader said, adding, “Otherwise Sitaula would not have contested the elections.”

Some standing committee members told the prime minister to consider the results of last month’s National Assembly elections of Kosi Province before taking the decision.

Maoist Centre’s Champa Karki had lost the upper house seat to CPN-UML's Rukmini Koirala. Maoist Centre has been claiming that its candidate lost due to betrayal by the Nepali Congress.

Majority of the standing committee members suggested that the party should stake claim to the upper house chair, said Sapkota.

Although some of the issues of the Congress Mahasamiti were brought up at Tuesday’s meeting, the prime minister did not respond to any of them, he said.

“The meeting will conclude tomorrow [Wednesday] where the prime minister will respond to some of the concerns,” said Sapkota.

Some members had also expressed concerns over the demand at the Congress Mahasamiti for the restoration of the Hindu state. Over 1,000 Congress Mahasamiti members had signed a petition demanding that Nepal be declared a Hindu state.

Some Maoist leaders had suggested that it would be difficult to continue the partnership with the Congress if the party veers towards regressive agendas. Although a Congress faction presented the petition calling for reinstatement of Hindu state to party chief Deuba, he dismissed the demand calling it anachronistic.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Bishwakarma told the Post that Deuba has reaffirmed to the prime minister that the Congress is committed to the current coalition in line with their past understandings. “We hope that the alliances will ultimately agree to elect none other than Sitaula to the post of upper house chair,” he said.