No decision to reshuffle cabinet immediately: Mahat

‘PEOPLE WILL REJECT LEFTIST ALLIANCE’

KATHMANDU, Oct 6: Dr Ram Saran Mahat, leader of Nepali Congress, has claimed that the people will ultimately reject the leftist alliance since the Nepalese people have already accepted the parliamentary practice and democracy.

“The two leftist parties are being united on ground basis of communism. Prachanda even maintained that there will be communism in Nepal within the next 10 years–which clearly is a threat to liberal democracy,” said the former Finance Minister while speaking during an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Friday.

“They have perhaps forgotten that people’s mandate is not in favor of communism. Nepalese people believe in democratic system and parliamentary practice,” added Mahat.

“This is odd and unnatural. People will reject the leftist alliance eventually,” he claimed.

Earlier this week, the three leftist parties CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center) and Naya Shakti Party Nepal formally announced their electoral alliance and unity process afterward the upcoming federal and provincial elections.

Dr Mahat questioned the moral character of Maoist Center (MC) and accused the party (MC) of frequently changing alliance just to gain power. MC is the ruling coalition partner NC. The two ruling partners also made poll alliance in various local levels to contest the local level elections concluded recently. “The MC performed better in the Province 2 on NC’s support,” he said.

Several NC leaders have also maintained that the Maoist ministers should either resign voluntarily on moral ground or Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba should sack them of their responsibilities as the MC already joined the leftist alliance.

Deuba close NC leaders have said that the prime minister is mulling over reshuffling the cabinet once majority vote is secured in the parliament. But Dr Mahat made it clear that the government has not taken any decision on reshuffling the cabinet immediately.

“The election is near. Restructuring the cabinet on the eve of the election would only create more instability and insecurity,” said Mahat.

“There has been discussions about reshuffling the cabinet in the party but the government has not taken any decision in this regard,” he added.

Mahat also accused UML of making alliance with MC in fear of losing election. “UML reached the decision to form leftist alliance after its poor performance in third round local level election. It is the UML’s defeated mentality.” he added.