E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, OCT 16 -

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday proposed that both ministers at the centre of the controversy surrounding the government—Defence Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari and Land Reforms and Management Minister Prabhu Sah—be asked to resign to end the row, according party sources. Minister Bhandari faces the allegation of giving a secessionist remark, while Sah is the alleged mastermind of a murder.

Maoist Politburo member Haribol Gajurel, considered close to Dahal, confirmed that Dahal had recommended simultaneous resignation of the duo to avoid further controversies and a fallout between the coalition partners.

Dahal made the recommendation in the meeting between the two coalition partners—Maoists and Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM)—held at the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Saturday.

After being besieged by the opposition parties for two consecutive days in the parliament and under criticism from human rights activists and civil society leaders, the partners in the ruling coalition held a meeting to take stock of the situation and prepare a response. The meeting decided to take decision in this regard once the matter has been discussed within the respective parties. The meeting also decided to talk to the opposition parties which have been obstructing the parliament over the issue. 

Bhandari, last month, had said that 22 districts in the Madhes could secede and that no law could prevent that from happening if they were discriminated. Minister Sah is implicated in the murder of Hindu Yuva Sangh leader Kashi Tiwari. Sources say that Bhattarai is under pressure from his own party to act against Sah after he allegedly tried to bribe the family of deceased Tiwari.

Leaders close to Dahal have said that he has been putting pressure on Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to ask Sarat Singh Bhandari to resign in order to appease the hardliners in the party who have declared “jihad” against Minister Bhandari’s statement that allegedly threatened to split Nepal. Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya has been pushing for resignation of Bhandari, as well as scrapping of the four-point deal. Moreover, Bhandari’s resignation will facilitate Chairman Dahal’s efforts to woo the hardliners, said leaders knowledgeable about the Maoist chief’s strategy.

Though Maoist party’s Parliamentary Board has already decided to seek Bhandari’s resignation, the Madhesi parties, especially Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L) is in a wait-and-see mode.

Party’s General Secretary Jitendra Dev said that their decision would depend on the Maoist approach to the controversies surrounding both ministers.

If the Maoists take a tougher approach to Minister Sah, MJF-L could take a similar approach, according to Madhesi leaders.

He also informed that meeting of both MJF-L and Morcha would take place probably on Sunday and that a decision would be taken in this regard.

Meanwhile, the Morcha leaders in the meeting on Saturday took serious exception to the statement of Dahal defending Minister Sah, while asking Bhandari to resign. According to prime minister’s Press Advisor Ramrijan Yadav, the meet has also decided

that the parties would not make irresponsible statements regarding the four-point agreement signed before the government formation, after Morcha objected to Dahal’s public statement on Thursday on the issue suggesting that it could be reviewed.

Posted on: 2011-10-16 08:41

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