Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to demand at least eight ministries including the Finance Ministry.
NC Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka has briefed the party’s office-bearers meeting that the party has demanded so as the largest party in the House during the meetings with Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other coalition leaders.
NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba had asked Khadka to brief the NC meeting held on Saturday about the progress in negotiations in the coalition. “We have decided to hold discussion in the coalition with the stand of eight ministries,” an NC leader who attended the meeting of office-bearers told Setopati.
But Dahal has been urging NC to help by agreeing on seven ministries, according to Khadka, pointing that he has to satisfy 11 parties.
All the parties in the House apart from CPN-UML, RPP, and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party had voted in support of the government during the floor test, and all of those who voted for Dahal except Rastriya Janamorcha Party are keen to join the government.
Deuba is trying to send Khadka, who has already announced that he would never again become a minister, to lead the NC contingent as deputy PM overseeing finance or defense ministry, according to the office-bearer.
Deuba is preparing to send Prakash Man Singh may to lead the NC ministers if Khadka refuses to become minister.
NC has created standards for ministers saying they should represent all seven provinces and be inclusive. NC leaders have been saying that the grand old party should try to get as many ministries as possible, and competent lawmakers should be given opportunity.
PM Dahal is looking to expand the Cabinet soon and has been holding discussions with coalition leaders in recent days.
The Cabinet currently has four ministers and one state minister from Dahal-led CPN (Maoist Center) and a minister from Janamat Party with PM Dahal overseeing 16 ministries after Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), RPP and CPN-UML quit the government.
