Bagmati Province Government Sees Repeated Delays in Resignations by CPN-UML Ministers

Hetauda. The deadline for the resignation of ministers from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) [CPN-UML] from the Bagmati Province government has been continuously postponed. Despite preparing to resign multiple times after changes in the ruling coalition, six ministers from the CPN-UML have not yet separated from the government.

Specifically, among the 14 ministers in the 8 ministries of the province, only 3 out of the 6 CPN-UML ministers have been given departmental responsibilities. The CPN-UML, which has 3 ministers without portfolios, has been discussing resignations continuously since Asar 32.

Although the CPN-UML has used resignation as a weapon three times so far, the decision to resign has been put on hold every time. The leader of the parliamentary party, Jagannath Thapaliya, had also instructed the CPN-UML ministers to resign. As per the directive of the parliamentary party leader last Saturday, they were preparing to send their resignations via email. However, their resignations were postponed until Monday after Chief Minister Baniya requested them to submit their resignations formally in person.

The resignation of the CPN-UML ministers, who are frustrated by Chief Minister Indrabahadur Baniya's insistence on them remaining as ministers without portfolios on one hand and in a style similar to department heads on the other, was also halted on Monday. On Monday, after a meeting of the CPN-UML parliamentary party, the decision of the ministers preparing to submit their resignations was again postponed.

The CPN-UML parliamentary party meeting held in Koteshwor, Kathmandu on Monday concluded that they would await a clear directive from the party's higher echelons regarding separation from the Bagmati government. Madhusudan Poudel, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forest, and Environment in Bagmati Province, who participated in the meeting, stated that they would not leave the government until a clear directive comes from the party's top leadership. He mentioned that the recent political developments and discussions about the ministers' resignations were just rumors and that they were awaiting the party's official directive.

According to Jagannath Thapaliya, the leader of the CPN-UML parliamentary party, the Bagmati Province parliamentary party meeting concluded that they would proceed by holding discussions and dialogues with the party center and other political parties in the changing political landscape. He stated that no decision has been made regarding leaving the government immediately due to the continuous emergence of new situations. He added that the decision on whether to remain in or leave the government will be finalized only after discussions with other political parties.

'Political situations are changing every moment. We are in continuous discussions with both the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML. The party is also engaged in dialogue. Since the ruling coalition will be determined based on agreements made in the context of national politics, we are awaiting the directive from the party center,' he said.

According to a CPN-UML lawmaker, remaining as ministers without portfolios is not appropriate for establishing political decorum. He stated that although there is a situation where they should support the Chief Minister in ministry management and accept the changing political environment, this has not been possible. He suggested that the CPN-UML should resign instead of continuing to serve in a ministerial capacity akin to department heads, to maintain its moral standing and move forward with a new process.

According to Madhusudan Poudel, who holds the responsibility of Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forest, and Environment from the CPN-UML in the Bagmati government, the CPN-UML has not yet made any official statement regarding the ministers' resignations. He said that there is no need to resign based on rumors spread by individuals or media outlets. He stated that the CPN-UML will make a decision on whether to resign formally or continue in the government. He informed that discussions are ongoing with the party leadership on this matter.

According to a CPN-UML lawmaker, remaining as ministers without portfolios is not appropriate for establishing political decorum. He stated that although there is a situation where they should support the Chief Minister in ministry management and accept the changing political environment, this has not been possible.

According to him, there is no problem with the 3 ministers who received departments and the other 3 ministers who are in additional responsibilities among the 6 CPN-UML ministers. He said that all ministers are working together.

In fact, the 6 ministers from the CPN-UML had prepared to resign from the Bagmati government on Asar 32. Then Health Minister Kiran Thapa Magar had informed at a press conference that the 6 ministers from the CPN-UML were about to submit their collective resignations. He had stated that the CPN-UML ministers would withdraw from the Bagmati Province government after the central-level power-sharing agreement between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML broke down. The CPN-UML ministers had prepared to resign after the Council of Ministers meeting scheduled for 4 PM on Asar 32.

'In the current situation, our ruling coalition has been decided at the center. Now a new government or cabinet needs to be formed, so the CPN-UML is preparing to pave the way,' he had said, 'It is not appropriate to remain in the government in the current situation. We must create an environment conducive to working for a new ruling coalition. Therefore, the 6 ministers from the CPN-UML will resign after today's cabinet meeting.'

According to him, on that day, the CPN-UML also had to recall all its ministers for the management of the Bagmati government's cabinet. The CPN-UML had prepared to send new ministers according to the distribution of portfolios for the 8 ministries after recalling all ministers. However, he stated that the CPN-UML became in a position to separate from the government as per the party's directive after the coalition itself changed.

On Saturday, Shrawan 2, the leader of the parliamentary party, Thapaliya, had instructed the ministers to resign from the government. He had stated that he instructed the ministers to resign after a rift occurred in the Congress-UML ruling coalition. He had said that the ministers would submit their resignations to Chief Minister Indrabahadur Baniya at a convenient time.

'It is understood that the Congress does not wish to remain in the coalition in the current changed political situation. In such a situation, there is no need for the CPN-UML to forcibly remain in the coalition, and based on this conclusion, I have instructed the ministers to resign,' he had said.

From the government, Madhusudan Poudel is the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forest, and Environment, Dr. Dineshchandra Devkota is the Minister of Physical Infrastructure Development, and Bindu Shrestha is the Minister of Industry, Tourism, Labor, and Transport from the CPN-UML, while Kiran Thapa Magar, Jayaram Thapa, and Bharat Bahadur KC are serving as ministers without portfolios.