Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 30:

A taskforce formed by the CPN-UML’s eighth central committee meeting to review the performance of the coalition government headed by Nepali Congress (Democratic) president Sher Bahadur Deuba has prepared a report which has stated that it was the party’s “wrong decision” to join the coalition government. The report, which is being finalised, concluded that the government failed in its goals of restoring peace, democracy and holding parliamentary elections. The King had formed the coalition government last year with the aim of restoring peace and holding elections within 2061 BS. The eighth central committee meeting held in the absence of party general secretary, Madhav Kumar Nepal, who was under house-arrest, had formed a nine-member team headed by the then acting general secretary and standing committee member, Jhala Nath Khanal, to review the party’s decision of joining the Deuba-government and its performance.

The other taskforce members were Mukunda Neupane, former minister Yubaraj Gyawali, Bishnu Poudel, Pradip Gyawali, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Ram Chandra Jha, Shankar Pokharel and Prithvi Subba. “We have prepared the report but it is yet to be finalised,” said a taskforce member requesting anonymity. He said the final report would be submitted to party leadership

within a week. He added that the report has held Multiparty Democratic Coordination Committee (MDCC) responsible for the “dismal performance” of the then overnment. “Neither it could restore peace and democracy nor could it hold elections,” he said. Top coalition leaders like Deuba, Nepal, RPP president Pashupati Shumsher Rana and Nepal Sadbhavana Party chief Badri Prasad Madal were members of the MDCC which was constituted to provide guidelines to the government on policy matters. “The report has realised that the party should not have joined the Deuba cabinet severing its ties with the five-party alliance formed earlier,” said the member. The report also criticised the government’s “unpopular decisions” and the UML ministers’ “weak role” in the government.