Tensions Rise Between Nepali Congress and CPN-UML Over Bagmati Province Leadership

Hetauda. A dispute has emerged between the two major ruling parties, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, regarding the leadership of the Bagmati Province government.

The UML insists that the government leadership should be handed over according to a pre-determined agreement, while the Congress claims no such agreement exists. Following the new coalition formed at the central level, the Bagmati Province government was formed on 2081 Shrawan 7 under the leadership of Bahadur Singh Lama of the Nepali Congress. According to the UML, there was a gentleman's agreement to rotate the leadership every 20 months. The UML leaders claim this agreement was written and made with the party rather than individuals, and therefore must be implemented.

UML leaders demand that the Congress relinquish leadership after the specified period, but it remains unclear how forcefully the UML will pursue this claim or if it will succumb to pressure. While Congress Bagmati Province parliamentary party leader Indra Bahadur Baniya states there have been no formal discussions on leadership changes, UML leaders and lawmakers have not contested this. According to UML lawmaker Keshav Prasad Pokharel, a clear understanding between the two parties is necessary regarding the bottom line for government leadership and the Speaker of the Assembly.

Meanwhile, Jagannath Thapaliya, leader of the UML Bagmati Province parliamentary party, expresses confidence that the pre-determined agreement will be implemented as conditions permit. He stated that based on political integrity, the Congress will hand over power at the appropriate time. Although the agreement was supposed to be implemented by last Chaitra, he noted that the UML has not pushed the matter in a hard-and-fast manner.

Thapaliya emphasized that the gentleman's agreement between coalition partners will be implemented through discussion and understanding. He noted that the UML takes the previous agreement regarding the rotation of the Chief Minister and the selection of the Speaker seriously but will make decisions based on timing. He clarified that the UML has not backed down from its claim to lead the government.

'The incumbent Chief Minister is aware of the agreement. We will reach a conclusion through discussions in the two-party mechanism. For checks and balances between the executive and the legislature, it is appropriate for the Chief Minister and the Speaker to come from different parties. If the Chief Minister remains from the Congress, the UML should take the Speaker position,' he said. 'The performance of the current government is not satisfactory. The government has failed to utilize its time to formulate policies, laws, and acts. Development work has stalled due to budget cuts for projects without coordination.'

He mentioned the need to reduce general expenses and the number of ministries to make the province more efficient. He stated that while cabinet reshuffling is being discussed from various angles, no immediate decision has been made. He clarified that the UML is proceeding maturely and through consensus rather than rushing into any decisions.

'Bottom line' on Speaker and power-sharing must be clear - Pokharel

UML Bagmati Province lawmaker Keshav Prasad Pokharel emphasized that the selection of the provincial Speaker and power-sharing among ruling parties must be resolved through consensus. He stated that the uncertainty among coalition partners must end as per the constitution.

Lawmaker Pokharel said that there is not much time left for the selection of the Speaker and that concrete discussions and consensus are necessary among the ruling parties. According to him, the UML's 'bottom line' must be clear based on the principle of give-and-take in power-sharing.

'It appears that the process for selecting the Speaker must be moved forward within the rights and deadlines provided by the constitution. It is necessary for the ruling parties to be clear on this. Given the legal and practical obligation to conclude the Speaker selection process by the 9th, we must be responsible,' he said. 'Our clear demand is that the UML must either get the leadership of the government (Chief Minister) or the Speaker. What is the understanding with the coalition partner, the Nepali Congress?'

Lawmaker Pokharel commented that the government has failed to utilize the time it had to create policies and methods. He stated that even after so much time since the government's formation, it appears slow in policy and legal matters.

He also noted that projects were cut without coordination and problems have been seen in budget mobilization. He emphasized that the leadership must take concrete decisions in a timely manner to make the power-sharing more effective and improve the government's performance.