NC, CPN-MC tell Oli a caretaker govt cannot take decisions other than those needed for running administration

Kathmandu, July 14

A day after filing no-confidence motion in the Parliament, Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Centre today warned the KP Sharma Oli-led government against taking decisions of national significance with long-term effects, as it had already been transformed into a caretaker government.

Issuing a joint statement signed by chief secretaries Krishna Prasad Paudel of NC and Pralhad Budhathoki of CPN-MC, the two parties said the caretaker government could not take any significant decision other than those needed for running day-to-day administration.

“As per the parliamentary practice, the PM should have stepped down after his government was reduced to a minority government. As the PM wanted to prolong his stay in the government by deciding to face the vote of no-confidence, we have cautioned him against taking decisions other than those required for day to day working,” said NC leader Balkrishna Khand.

The government should not take any policy-level decision or make any political appointment or reach any agreement going against the parliamentary norms after being reduced to a minority government, said Khand.

Meanwhile, NC and CPN-MC have intensified talks on sharing ministerial portfolios, according to sources in the two parties.

A five-point gentleman’s agreement reached between the NC and the CPN-MC, along with the seven-point pact inked on Monday, mentions that NC will get a maximum of 14 ministries while CPN-MC will get eight ministries, according to sources.

The gentleman’s agreement is about sharing of ministerial portfolios, formation of a high-level mechanism to oversee the government’s performance, letting the CPN-MC lead the government until local bodies’ polls are held and handing over the leadership to the NC after that so that it can conduct elections for provincial assemblies and the parliament, said the sources.

The two parties have also agreed that CPN-MC Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal will be the new prime minister and his party will get finance and information and communications ministries, among others, said sources.

The NC, on the other hand, is likely to get ministries of home affairs, foreign affairs, federal affairs and local development, general administration, education, labour, law, justice and parliamentary affairs and energy, according to the sources.