SPA fails to announce cabinet

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, May 1 - The seven-party alliance (SPA) has failed to announce the Cabinet on Monday as well despite the daylong discussion on it, as differences spurred in the meeting of the top SPA leaders.
Earlier, the meeting held at the residence of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala this morning had decided to form a Cabinet comprising 21 members.

The front had consented to send representatives of all seven parties into the Cabinet. Though the parties went through internal homework to reach a conclusion, the Cabinet didn’t receive its final shape even today.

PM Koirala and UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal also held separate meeting to discuss the matter today.

Sources said PM Koirala asked Nepal not to make portfolio for the Home since the government had to make immediate decision to create an environment conducive to hold dialogue with Maoist rebels.

Meanwhile, the meeting of the Standing Committee of the UML insisted that the party deserves at least one portfolio from Home and Defence and threatened to remain out of Cabinet if portfolios are not distributed logically.

The parties have, however, expressed commitment with the understanding between the SPA and the Maoists.

The venue for taking the oath of office is another cause for difference.

UML ministers have proposed to swear in the parliament.

The meeting of the top SPA leaders decided to form a 21-member (at the maximum) cabinet with participation from all the seven parties in the alliance.

The meeting left the issue of keeping or not a Deputy Prime Minister up to PM Koirala, it is learnt.

The meeting also decided to recognize NC-D as a political force, sources said.

While PM Koirala and Standing Committee member KP Sharma Oli will be heading the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML in the SPA government respectively.