Kathmandu, January 12

The government, which was supposed to appoint governors and name provisional headquarters of provinces today, failed to do so and postponed it till the next Cabinet meeting.

Minister of Supplies Min Bahadur Bishwakarma told THT that the Cabinet decided to forge consensus with other parties on names of governors.

He said the government wanted minimum understanding among the parties on two pressing issues — appointment of governors and naming provisional headquarters of provinces.

He said the government had prepared its list of governors and had asked other parties to give names of their favourite candidates. Since other parties didn’t send their lists the government decided to defer appointment of governors, as well as naming of provisional headquarters of provinces.

According to Bishwakarma, the next Cabinet meeting will appoint governors even if parties fail to forge consensus on the issue. He said Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba proposed to wait for a few days.

The PM’s media expert Govinda Pariyar said the PM had been trying his best to forge consensus with the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre regarding governors’ appointment. He added that the UML and other concerned parties had also asked the PM to wait.

UML leader Agni Kharel, however, said the government did not seek names from his party and even if it did his party would not give any name for governor’s post. “We have told the government to take a call as per the constitutional provisions. The prime minister, who should have paved the way for the formation of a new government, has been inventing new excuses to prolong his stay,” he added.

The Election Commission said it was unable to submit result of provincial election due to the government’s failure to appoint governors. As per the constitution, the poll panel has to submit results of provincial assembly election to governors of the respective provinces.

EC Spokesperson Nabaraj Dhakal said the government had to appoint governors before January 21, as the EC planned to publish the list of National Assembly election voters on that day.

Newly elected members of the provincial assemblies and chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels will be the members of the electoral college to elect National Assembly members.

Maoist ministers resign, cabinet accords martyr title to Chhintang deceased

KATHMANDU: CPN Maoist Centre resigned en masse today after former Health Minister (currently without portfolio) Giriraj Mani Pokharel presented the resignation letter before PM Deuba. The letter was submitted at the Cabinet meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, according to PM's Press Coordinator Govinda Pariyar.

Delayed National Assembly election and other activities including stripping the CPN ministers of their portfolios by the incumbent government were cited as the reasons for the mass resignation.

The Prime Minister stripped CPN-MC ministers of their portfolios after the CPN-MC forged electoral alliance with the CPN-UML, on October 17.

Although the meeting was expected to take a decision on whether to arrange appointment of governors or to name provincial temporary headquarters (PTHs), the meeting focused on different issues.

DECISIONS MADE AT THE CABINET MEETING:

The meeting decided to accord the title of martyrs to 17 leftist cadres who lost their lives in 1979 police firing in the then Chhintang VDC, now Khalsa Chhintang Shahidbhumi Rural Municipality of Dhankuta district.

The meeting decided to pass a rule allowing civil servants to get transferred at all the levels of government – local, provincial and federal. The employees integrated in the local levels and provinces can get transferred to the local levels, central government and provinces. But no integrated staff will be transferred for five years beyond the local levels and provinces they were transferred to.

Similarly, the meeting also decided to present ‘Golden Handshake’ for any employee not willing to be integrated. The employees who have served for 20 years and those aged above 50 years can opt for voluntary retirement. Such staff can receive a pension of seven years at one go.

Responding to media persons after attending the meeting, Nepali Congress leader Bir Bahadur Balayar said, "The government will soon hold an all-party meeting to consult various political parties to arrive at a decision on appointment of governors and Provincial temporary headquarters (PTHs)."