Kathmandu, April 15

Chances of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal joining the KP Sharma Oli-led government are slim.

FSF-N Chair Upendra Yadav said chances of his party joining the government were slim because both constituents of the left alliance had lost interest in inducting his party in the government and his party had also lost interest in joining the government.

“We held some rounds of talks, but now both sides have lost interest,” he said, adding that his party wanted to secure a written pledge from the left alliance on amending the constitution.

FSF-N and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal had demanded amendment to the constitution and made revision of provincial boundaries one of their key demands.

FSF-N General Secretary Ram Sahay Yadav said the left alliance government had initiated talks with his party after being ready to sign a deal, but it halted the process. “All agreements are in written format,” he said when asked if his party would be ready to join Oli’s government without signing a written agreement.

“We held talks with the left alliance because it offered to induct us in the government,” he said and added that his party had told the left alliance to address issues raised by Madhesi and Janajati forces in various agreements signed in the past. He said his party had also demanded that Article 274 be amended to remove the requirement of consent of majority of provinces to revise provincial boundaries.

CPN-UML Deputy Parliamentary Party leader Subas Chandra Nembang, one of the left alliance leaders who held talks with the FSF-N in recent weeks, said the government had kept the door open for the FSF-N. “We held talks with the FSF-N with a view to inducting it in the government. We also divided the portfolios of ministers in such a way as to accommodate the FSF-N,” he said and added that he still had in his pocket the draft of the agreement which was endorsed by the left alliance and the FSF-N. “Both sides had agreed that some issues would be discussed and settled by the chairpersons of the three parties — the CPN-MC, CPN-UML and the FSF-N. I do not know if the chairpersons have met and discussed the issues,” Nembang said, adding that news reports stating that both sides were discussing amendment of certain articles of the constitution was wrong. “We have agreed in principle to amend the constitution,” he said when asked if the left alliance had stalled dialogue because the FSF-N demanded that a written agreement be signed.