Friday, June 13, 2008

Coalition government by June 18: Minister Gurung

Minister for Local Development Dev Gurung has clarified that the Maoist ministers in the cabinet had tendered their resignation before the party leadership to "accelerate the process of formation of a new government and bring an end to the current transitional period" and said that it shouldn't be viewed otherwise.

Minister Gurung, who reached Beni district headquarters in Myagdi to inaugurate the opening of the district council of the District Development Committee (DDC), also told journalists that he was sure a new coalition government would be formed by June 18.

"We would try to form a coalition government by June 18, but if we don't reach an agreement on it then the Maoists would go on to form a government of its own. But if even that doesn't happen then the Maoists would opt out of the government and would assist the Constituent Assembly and the government from outside," he said in plain terms.

Similarly, in a meeting with Maoist party cadres in the district early this morning, Minister Gurung said that party workers should exercise restraint and patience in the changed scenario of the country, asking them to engage in the party politics by not worrying too much about the transitional period in the country which he hoped would soon end.

On Thursday, Maoist Ministers had announced their resignation from the Koirala-led government and forwarded their joint resignation letter to party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Although they said that they had offered their resignation to pave the way for formation of a new government, it was viewed by many as a tactic to apply pressure on the prime minister to agree on the composition of the government as well as the time when the government will be formed. Meanwhile, the Maoist party leadership has put off its plans to submit the resignation letter to PM Koirala for the time being, saying that it is engaged in homework to form a new government.

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