Kathmandu, February 26

Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Chair Upendra Yadav today met Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to discuss his party’s participation in the government but the two could not reach agreement.

FSF-N leader Ashok Kumar Rai said the PM was keen to induct one FSF-N lawmaker in the Cabinet today, but Yadav told the PM that his party would participate in the government only after an agreement was reached among the CPN-UML, CPN-MC and the FSF-N on constitution amendment issues.

“Apart from that a package deal has to be sealed on constitutional posts, including the president, vice-president, speaker, deputy speaker and ministries,” Rai said. He added that the party chair also proposed to form a task force to work on the issues of constitution amendment.

Rai said Yadav also wanted to know what the common minimum programme would be if his party joined the government.

Co-Chair of FSF-N Rajendra Shrestha said, “The talk of FSF-N agreeing to participate in the government is a rumour. Had there been any agreement, we would have sent our representatives to the Cabinet today,” Shrestha said.

Left alliance sources said the FSF-N could be given the ministries of foreign affairs and labour and

employment.

Later, Yadav and other FSF-N leaders held talks with leaders of RJP-N on constitutional issues. A source privy to the meeting said RJP-N leaders told Yadav that his party would join the government only after ensuring that the constitution would be amended.

Revision of provincial boundaries is one of the key demands of the FSF-N and the RJP-N.

The Prime Minister’s Personal Aide Chetan Adhikari said Yadav told the PM that he took the PM’s offer of joining the government positively and he would decide on it after talking to his party’s leaders.

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