Kathmandu, Nepal, January 31, 2023: The coalition partners of the incumbent government have divided on ranges of issues. The bitterness emerged among the ruling alliance, particularly the CPN (Maoist Center) and the CPN UML, on the issue of electing new president has now distanced further over the controversies of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).
As the Maoist Center, particularly the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dhala, has been advocating for the consensual candidate for the post of president, the UML has been exerting pressure to reappoint RSP president Rabi Lamichhange in the same post as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs so as to take revenge to the Prime Minister Dahal by defaming the government.
The UML, a major coalition partner, seems positive on giving the Home Ministry to the RSP president Lamichhane with the belief that such a decision would not only defame the government leading it towards the dissolution and help it to take the RSP into confidence at the time of forming its own government.
Referring to the positive signal from the UML, the RSP president Lamichhane has demanded that he should be appointed in the post as per the deal made while forming the government. As Lamichhane reacquired the citizenship from the District Administration Office (DAO), Kathmandu and his party subsequently reinstated him party president and parliamentary party leader on Sunday, he met Prime Minister Dahal on Monday to demand his reinstatement in the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday stripped Rabi Lamichhane’s lawmaker position stating that the citizenship certificate he produced to contest the parliamentary election was invalid. Following the verdict, he had resigned not only from the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister but also from the post of party president and parliamentary party leader.
As Lamichhane is not a lawmaker and the case related to his passport is also not settled yet, Prime Minister Dahal has been hesitating to reappoint him in the same posts. Though Prime Minister Dahal stated that he would take decision after consulting with other coalition partners, Lamichhane would not be appointed in the post immediately; a Maoist Center leader said preferring anonymity.
During the meeting held between Prime Minister Dahal on Sunday, Oli had said that Lamichhane would be appointed in the same post as the ministry was allocated to the RSP with consensus among ruling partners.
