Portfolio claims delay cabinet formation Arjun Bhandari People watch as the chariot of Rato Machhindranath is People watch as the chariot of Rato Machhindranath is NC claims key ministries; partners say no-no Kathmandu, May 1: The meeting of the seven-party alliance’s top leaders, held today at Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s residence, ended inconclusively due to “sharp differences” over allocation of ministerial portfolios. The meeting, however, agreed in principle to limit the strength of the cabinet to 21. It has been almost a week since the alliance unanimously picked Koirala prime minister. Alliance sources said differences cropped up after the Nepali Congress said it would like to keep the portfolios of deputy prime minister and Home Affairs and other important portfolios. The UML had claimed the portfolios of deputy prime minister and Home. The major alliance partners did not agree to the NC’s claim. “If our presence is necessary, portfolios must be distributed to us according to our strength in parliament, popularity and our contribution to the movement,” said a UML central committee member. He added: “We have told them (NC) to form their own government if they refuse to give us the Dy PM and Home portfolios.” Shortly after the meeting, the UML standing committee met. Standing committee member Amrit Kumar Bohara said the “Parliament was reinstated on the strength of the people’s movement and the government should also be formed according to its spirit.” He said his party had already asked the PM not to delay forming a cabinet even if it be a small one . Bohara said: “Every political party has to have a respectable position in the government.” He added they also had differences with the NC on some policy issues. He said they had told the PM that they would not go to the Palace to take the oath of office and that all the alliance partners must be committed to the spirit of the movement, the alliance’s roadmap and the 12-point understanding with the Maoists. NC general secretary Ram Chandra Poudel, however, contested Bohara’s claims. He said there were no differences of opinion on the formation of the cabinet. “The cabinet could not be announced today as other partners did not give their lists. Maybe, they have internal problems and are blaming us ,” he said. He said that the UML, NWPP, Janamorcha Nepal and NSP did not send their lists to the PM and NC-D sent only one name — of Gopal Man Shrestha. Asked about the NC claiming the Dy PM and Home portfolios, Poudel said that it was not his party but Narayan Man Bijuckchhe who made that suggestion. He said except for the UML, other partners had backed the idea. He said the NC had not demanded any portfolios. Poudel denied he was interested in holding the Dy-PM-cum Home minister post. He, however, conceded that friends in NC had urged him to join the government as the “PM’s second man”. Bijuckchhe said he suggested that the PM appoint his deputy who may be able to work as per the PM’s “wave length” and it was also needed, given his “poor health.” Bijuckchhe said he may not join the government. HoR to meet today KATHMANDU: The meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) will re-convene at 2:00 pm on Tuesday. The parliament is expected to come up with a new procedural code since it was not introduced as desired by Deputy Speaker Chitralekha Yadav in the very first meeting of the reinstated HoR. Such a procedural code will guide the parliamentary proceedings in future. — HNS