Gandaki stuck in political tug-of-war

Pokhara, August 12: The expansion of the Gandaki province government has been delayed because discussions aimed at including CPN UML in the government by mid-August have not yielded significant results. After the shift in the power dynamics at the center on July 1, negotiations at the working group level to finalize the province government’s minimum common program and determine the number of ministries did not reach an agreement.

Subsequent meetings between the leaders of the Nepali Congress and the CPN UML, conducted with the chief whips by their side, also failed to resolve the issue. Both parties remain at an impasse over the government formation, complicating the expansion process.

The Congress party proposed that UML take control of the remaining two ministries while Congress retains seven. UML, however, has requested three ministries out of the seven available, and insists on at least four ministries if a total of nine are created. Congress, on the other hand, aims to secure positions for Nepal Samajwadi Party leader Phanindra Devkota and independent MP Rajeev Gurung (alias Deepak Manange), while dividing the remaining ministries equally.

UML has maintained its demand for a proportional share of ministries and suggested that Devkota and Manange should be retained in the government while Congress appoints its ministers from its allocated quota. UML Chief Whip Gobind Bahadur Nepali criticized Congress’s proposal as contrary to national consensus.

“We are focused on ensuring that the provincial government operates in line with the central consensus. There is an agreement on equal participation in the Gandaki government,” Nepali stated, emphasizing that power-sharing should reflect this balance.

UML's stance remains unchanged: the number of ministries should not increase. Congress, however, insists that two ministries should be separated out, with the remaining positions shared equally.

According to sources, the Chief Minister has told UML that if they wish to maintain the current seven ministries, they must accept the appointment of two additional ministers. The two ministries currently remain vacant, and the Chief Minister is adamant about not excluding Devkota and Manange.

Despite ongoing discussions, no resolution has been reached. Chief Minister Pandey, along with Social Development and Health Minister Bindu Kumar Thapa and Finance Minister Dr. Takaraj Gurung, are engaged in discussions in Kathmandu. Meanwhile, UML leaders have also traveled to Kathmandu to negotiate the government formation.