SUDURPASCHIM, MARCH 6

The CPN (Maoist Centre) has withdrawn its support to the Sudurpaschim province government. A meeting of the Maoist Centre parliamentary party this morning decided to pull out the support it had given to the Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah, said the party's Province Assembly member Shiva Singh Oli.

The CPN (Maoist Centre) was a partner in the government headed by the Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Shah. The CPN (Maoist Centre) has 10 out of the total 53 seats in the Assembly, except the Speaker.

The Nepali Congress, which is the largest party in the Assembly, has 18 seats after the death in a road accident some months ago of one of its Assembly member from Bajhang, Prithvi Bahadur Singh.

Similarly, the CPN (UML) has ten seats, the Nagarik Unmukti Party seven seats, the CPN (Unified Socialist) four, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) one and an independent member in the Province Assembly.

The Nagarik Unmukti Party and the CPN (Unified Socialist), the present ruling coalition partners, have not decided till this afternoon whether they will remain in the government or not.

Before this, Chief Minister Shah on Tuesday relieved the Social Development Minister Jhapat Bahadur Saud, the Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment Ramesh Singh Dhami and the Minister of State for Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment, Gitadevi Mal, representing the CPN (Maoist Centre) in the government, from their posts.