RPP has put conditions including national holiday on birth anniversary of late king Prithvi Narayan Shah that falls on January 11 this year to join the government.
RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden has been stating that the right wing party will support the government of Pushpa Kamal Dahal but has been demanding inclusion of its agendas in the common minimum programs of the coalition government to participate in the government.
Dahal, who was appointed prime minister (PM) with support of 169 lawmakers including those from seven parties and a few independent ones, has decided to take floor test on January 10. The magic number for passing the floor test is 138 and Dahal is planning to pass the floor test after bringing common minimum programs.
The coalition partners had formed a committee under CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli on January 29 to finalize common minimum programs within five days but that have yet to be finalized.
RPP, Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and Nagarik Unmukti Party—out of the seven parties supporting Dahal’s government including Dahal-led CPN (Maoist Center), UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janamat Party—have yet to join the government.
PM Dahal is also making efforts to bring CPN (Unified Socialist) led by Madhav Kumar Nepal aboard.
RPP, that has 14 House of Representatives (HoR) members, has been demanding four ministers including a deputy PM but saying that it will join the government only if its agendas are included in the common minimum programs.
“The party will join government if the demands we have been making are included in the common minimum programs. We will join the government under leadership of Chairman Lingden if the situation for us to join the government is created,” RPP Spokesperson Mohan Shrestha told Setopati.
