Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is not in a mood to reappoint Rabi Lamichhane, the chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), as the Home Minister immediately.
Talking to Nepalkhabar, Vice Chairman Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is also the spokesperson of the Maoist Center, said Prime Minister Dahal will keep the Home Ministry himself until the full text comes from the Supreme Court.
“The discussions on the Home Ministry are underway. We want to keep the ruling coalition intact. I have been suggested to hold on to the Home Ministry until the full text comes from the Supreme Court,” Mahara quoted Prime Minister Dahal as saying.
Meanwhile, the RSP has warned that it would pull out of the government if its Chairman Lamichhane were not reappointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister by today evening.
On Tuesday morning, Lamichhane met with Prime Minister Dahal and asked the latter to re-appoint him as the Home Minister saying that the post of the Home Ministry had been allocated to the RSP in the power-sharing deal sealed among the coalition partners.
The Maoist Center held an office-bearers’ meeting at its central party headquarters in Paris Danda, Koteshwor this afternoon. In the meeting, officer bearers suggested party chairman to keep the Home Hinistry himself, sources have said.
The meeting also touched upon the other agendas including work divisions among leaders, organizational expansion and party unity, besides the issue of the Home Ministry.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is looking after the portfolio after Lamichhane stepped down from the post following the verdict of the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court last Friday issued the verdict declaring Lamichhane as a non-citizen on the ground of not having a valid citizenship certificate.
Lamichhane lost all his posts including the DPM, HM, RSP Chairman alongside the parliamentary party (PP) leader after being rendered stateless.
However, with the retrieval of the Nepali citizenship last Sunday, he reclaimed the chairman of the RSP and the PP leader.
