by Prashant Jha
Kathmandu, March 5, 2011
Four weeks after supporting Jhalanath Khanal to become Prime Minister in Parliament, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) finally joined the government on Friday.
According to the power sharing deal worked out between the two parties, Maoists will get eleven Ministries though only four have been sworn in for now. Party international affairs chief Krishna Bahadur Mahara took office as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Maoist integration department chief and a close aide of party chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”, Barshamun Pun “Ananta” is the new Minister for Peace and Reconstruction. Standing committee member, and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai’s confidante, Top Bahadur Raymajhi became the Minister for Physical Works and Planning. And Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma, from the Mohan Vaidya faction within the party, is the new Minister for Tourism.
The Maoist decision follows a prolonged dispute with the UML over the interpretation of the seven-point agreement, signed between the Prime Minister and Mr. Prachanda. The UML accepted the deal but with certain modifications. There was also dispute over the Home Ministry. A compromise formula has been worked out where the Prime Minister will keep the Home portfolio, but then hand it over to the Maoists once they make progress on the peace process. Disputes within the Maoists over portfolios have also delayed the formation of a full government.
