Maoist, UML agree to expand cabinet
20th Oct 2008

Top leaders of the CPN (Maoist) and CPN (UML) reached an understanding for expanding the current cabinet by Friday and forming political committee that advises government on political issues.

A meeting held between the leaders of two parties at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar Monday morning also decided to make additional efforts to bring Nepali Congress into the government that will help ease the constitution making process.

Accordingly, PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal is likely to meet top leaders of Nepali Congress later today but the time has not been fixed. PM Dahal has already said he would hold talks with Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala to bring the party in coalition government.

The two parties have agreed that the political committee consisting representatives from all parties in the government will be led by former general secretary of the UML Madhav Kumar Nepal, to whom PM Dahal has already made the proposal.

Additionally, minimising the tussle between the youth groups – Young Communist League and Youth Force – was also a major agenda of discussion. Jhalanath Khanal, Bam Dev Gautam, Bharat Mohan Adhikari represented the UML at the meeting while Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai and Krishna Bahadur Mahara along with PM Dahal were the Maoists leading the discussion.