The CPN (Maoist Centre), whose 17 ministers were stripped of portfolios last week, has decided neither to recall them nor to pull out of the government.

A day after the Maoist ministers were relieved of their responsibilities by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the Maoist Centre, which has formed an electoral alliance with the CPN-UML despite being a key coalition partner, had said on October 18 that it would quit the Nepali Congress-led government after nominations for the first-past-the-post election system for the federal and provincial elections.

The nominations were filed on October 22.

 The party now says pulling out of the government at a time when the country is gearing up for elections “will send a negative message”.

A senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office said that the Maoist ministers were present in Monday’s Cabinet meeting, “which means they are not going to leave the government anytime soon”.

“Some ministers from the Maoist Centre are out of the Valley. Furthermore, there are technical issues concerning the elections. Therefore the party will recall its ministers at an opportune time,” said Maoist Centre Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal.

Maoist leader Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, a minister without portfolio in the Deuba Cabinet, said the Maoist ministers are waiting for the party’s official decision.