Alliance government facing a crisis
The recent political developments have indicated that the present five-party alliance is facing a serious crisis and it has reached the brink of collapse.
The NCP US attempt to replace its minister in the cabinet with new faces failed after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba denied to reshuffle the cabinet on Monday (6 June) as he saw the government falling into a minority. The new team was ready to take the oath of office as the minister, whereas, the present team in the government challenged the CPN US leadership saying that they would show their strength if the party recall them from the government. Instead of consulting with their own party’s leaders, the ministers reached Baluatar to consult with the NC president and PM Deuba.
Deuba, on the other hand, instead of endorsing the recommendation from the CPN US, denied reshuffling the cabinet, which has seriously irked CPN US leadership. In the meantime, the second generation leaders from the UML, Maoist Center and the US have become active in developing a greater Left alliance saying that the NC and its leaders have started to humiliate the alliance partners.
The US leaders have become furious from the recent developments and anarchism performed by its own ministers challenging the party leadership.
A group is ready to replace the ministers from the party but those in the government have denied quitting the post with the support of PM Deuba. After CPN US decided to recall ministers and send a new team to the cabinet, the ministers challenged the party leadership. The ministers have blamed the party leadership for initiating such a move in a prejudized manner.
The party secretariat meeting held on Sunday had decided to recall four ministers by replacing them with a new team. However, ministers Birodh Khatiwada, Prem Ale, Krishnakumar Shrestha and Ramkumari Jhakri have said that they will not obey the party decision.
All four ministers had called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba Monday morning asking him not to implement the CPN US’ recommendation. Labour Minister Krishnakumar Shrestha has challenged the party leadership saying that the party may face a serious crisis as he bags the support of 18 MPs out of a total of 24 MPs of the CPN US.
The party had decided to send a new team recalling the four ministers. Jeevanram Shrestha, Metmani Chaudhari, Sher Bahadur Kunwar and Hirachandra KC are the new names recommended by the party for the post of the ministers from CPN US.
In the new recommendation, the state minister for health Bhawani Khapung has been promoted to the health minister’s post. After the denial of the ministers belonging to the CPN US, the four supreme leaders of the alliance parties held a meeting at Baluatar, PM”s official residence on Monday afternoon. PM Deuba and Maoist Center chair Pushpakamal Dahal rejected the CPN US proposal saying that the government may fall into the minority if did so.
Just recently, MC chair Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda had remarked that he would bring the NC to the real size if the party humiliate other alliance partners. Understandably, Prachanda is bargaining for more seats in the upcoming province council and federal parliament elections. Prachanda is planning to emerge as the secondlargest party after the NC by leaving behind the UML for the third-largest party with the support of the NC. However, a section of the MC leaders is of the view of developing an electoral alliance among the communist parties, which would be more natural than the alliance with the NC.
Baburam Bhattarai,
leader of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) is saying that the significance of the electoral alliance has already been finished and now there should be a natural alliance among the communist forces.
Upendra Yadav, chairman, JSP, is closed to UML chair K.P. Oli after the party was unable to get prestigious seats in the local elections despite the electoral alliance. Yadav believes that the alliance became effective only for the NC and MC but not for the other parties. It won’t be odd if Yadav’s party will quit the alliance. Meanwhile, PM Deuba, considering the possible ousting of JSP from the government, has initiated talks with Mahanta Thakur led Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP). Deuba has assured of giving two ministerial portfolios to LSP. LSP is ready to join the alliance government but other alliance partners have not given a green signal to Deuba.
Until now, PM Deuba has been able to save the fiveparty alliance but what will happen tomorrow, it cannot be predicted.