Maoist Center will join Oli-led government in next few days: Minister Pandit
KATHMANDU, Feb 15: Newly elected Minister for Population and Environment, Lal Babu Pandit has said that CPN (Maoist Center) will join the CPN-UML Chair KP Oli led government in the next few days. Oli was appointed as the 41st Prime Minister of Nepal on Thursday.
Even after four month of announcement of party merger process, the two largest parties are yet to reach a formal agreement. Even though the UML leaders seem ready to share the party leadership and premiership, the two leftist parties are still mulling over sorting out the ideological differences.
UML are unwilling to subscribe the Maoist school of thought thereby refusing to recognize the achievements of Maoist war while maintain its allegiance to People’s Multiparty Democracy, their official political ideology. Maoist Center leaders have said that UML leaders are pressing them to accept the People’s Multiparty Democracy. Maoist Center is reluctant to give up ‘Maoism’.
And, Maoist Center is likely to support the UML from outside the government if the two parties fail to reach a conclusion and formulate a new political line for the proposed unified party.
But Minister Pandit, speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Thursday, assured that the cabinet will be expanded within the next few days including Maoist Center.
“PM Oli will expand the cabinet in the next few days. Maoist Center will also join the UML led government,” he said.
He also claimed that the UML-Maoist Center unification will be announced very soon.
“Not only UML, but Maoist Center is also our party now. All the leaders including the Maoist Center will be properly managed.”
“Any ideological differences will be sorted out and the unification will be announced very soon,” he added.
Minister Pandit also said that the UML-led government will likely scarp some of the decisions taken by the Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba-led caretaker government.
Many of the decisions made by the Deuba-led government have stirred serious controversy, such as reducing the age criteria from 70 to 65 years for the senior citizen allowance, declaring martyrs to all those killed during the Maoist insurgency and distribute huge amount of money to NC cadres including minister.
“We will review the decisions made by the previous government. If they are found not in line with law and constitution and national interest, we will revoke them,” said Pandit.
Pandit also said that his tenure as minister will be fully devoted to maintaining environmental balance and promoting healthy environment.
On the occasion, Reporters’ Club Nepal President Rishi Dhamala congratulated Minister Pandita and extended him best wishes.