Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli warned those who would become ministers from his party UML in June last year, 'You are going to be a minister for one year, work to get results according to my spirit.'

But in one year, the government has not been able to work according to people's expectations. Ministers fell out one after the other, two UML ministers were replaced. That's why Prime Minister Oli has been trying to reorganize the cabinet for the past few weeks, but the plow is stuck due to the reluctance of Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba. 

Deuba does not want to replace Foreign Minister Arju Rana and Home Minister Ramesh Akhtar. A group of ex-officers of the party has been advocating for Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakashman Singh. Deuba fears that if Singh is removed, the balance of power within the party will be disturbed. On the other hand, Deuba is not in favor of replacing Health Minister Pradeep Poudel without the consent of Chief Minister Gagan Thapa. Poudel became a minister from the quota of General Minister Thapa. Deuba is adamant that removing all but four people will send the wrong message. Due to Deuba's stance, Oli is not able to reorganize the cabinet. 

The question is being raised that even after the formation of a 'strong government' of the first and second largest parties, there has been no improvement in governance. The government is becoming more disreputable due to the bribery cases and controversies of the ministers. A leader of UML says that Prime Minister Oli rushed to reorganize the cabinet after the ministers started getting involved in the controversy one after the other.

But he does not want to remove Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel and Communications Minister Prithvisubba Gurung. UML leaders, including Prime Minister Oli, understand that the budget for the current financial year under the leadership of the UML-led government is being implemented and the indices of economic reform are positive.

The draft constitution of the party prepared under the leadership of Paudel was passed by the officers and Politburo meeting and made President Oli more powerful, but the Prime Minister is in favor of continuing with Paudel. The legislative convention to be held in the third week of August will pass the legislation. Oli has been seen as a candidate for the next leadership, mainly because the provisions of 2 terms in the same executive position and 70 years age limit have been removed in the legislation. Finance Minister Paudel, who is also the party vice-president, has an important role in preparing this legislation. 

Oli has faith in Poudel as he worked closely with Oli in the cabinet and party organization. He wants to keep Paudel as finance minister until next June as much as possible. UML leaders say that Prime Minister Oli wants to change ministers whose performance is weaker than the entire team, who are in controversy.

Two UML ministers have been dismissed within a year. Education Minister Vidya Bhattarai resigned from the post on 8th Baisakh saying that it was difficult to work on the Education Bill, as demanded by the Education Federation. After he resigned, MP Raghuji Pant became the education minister. Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajkumar Gupta resigned on June 31 after he was involved in a bribery case to transact the land of litchi plantation in Pokhara. After that, Bhagwati Neupane has been appointed as Federal Affairs Minister. UML leaders say that Pant and Neupane will continue as they were appointed recently.

Minister of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Balram Adhikari has also been involved in the case of lychee garden in Pokhara. The middleman has been embroiled in controversy after the audio of his bribery transaction with Suzan Lama was released. Prime Minister Oli wants to remove him. An audio of him accepting a bribe of Rs. 32 lakh to arrange and register 134 ropani land in Batulechaur of Pokhara was released. "Since it is time to recall other ministers, it seems that the prime minister's mindset is to free the officers along with them," said a leader.

Urban Development Minister Devendra Dahal, Oli's confidant for three decades, is the coordinator of Oli's election campaign in Jhapa. Although the work is not as expected, Oli's close leaders say that he is not dissatisfied with him. Dahal has no complaints if another leader is made a minister. Oli wants to replace Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister Damodar Bhandari. Baluwatar is of the opinion that former President Vidya Bhandari is close to Damodar and his performance is not satisfactory. Baluwatar is in favor of replacing Manveer Rai who is the Defense Minister from UML and giving it to another person. Chairman Mahanth Thakur wants to replace Labor Minister Sharatsingh Bhandari, who is a minister from Democratic Socialists, and give another leader his turn. "It seems that the overall situation is that the Cabinet should be reorganized," says a minister of the government, "but it will not happen without the agreement of both Oli and Deuba." There may be an agreement, these ministers may continue.

Congress Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka says that there is no discussion about changing ministers. "I didn't know if there was a one-on-one discussion between the two leaders (Oli and Deuba), but so far neither the prime minister nor our party chairman has brought forward the matter of reshuffle of the cabinet in the meeting I attended," he says.

A UML leader who participated in the Congress-UML top meeting on Thursday said that there was no discussion on cabinet reshuffle. "There are more rumors about reshuffle of ministers, there has been no discussion in Baluwatar," says the leader, "but there are rumors of reshuffle of the cabinet within both parties. Due to the rumours, Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister Damodar Bhandari has even postponed some events outside the valley." Even other ministers have not given importance to the programs outside the valley.' "In the country where the cabinet is usually reconstituted in 2-3 months, it has not been done for 13 months. There is interest everywhere that it will happen now. This is not unusual," he said while announcing the decision of the cabinet. From time to time, Oli keeps emphasizing the issue of making the work of the government effective even in the bi-party mechanism and informal meetings. Congress leaders say that he talked to Deuba several times about changing the minister. At first, the party chairman (Deuba) did not agree that the team should be changed, he said not to change now. If you want to change your ministers, change them, you have come saying that I have a problem in the Congress,' says a leader close to Deuba.

On the one hand, Shekhar Koirala has been talking about numbers for the leader of the parliamentary party. Meanwhile, a Congress leader says that the party president is also weighing the risk of being removed from the ministry and not being able to become a minister when the ministers are changed. He says, "Until now, the Speaker does not seem to be in the mood to change the Congress minister." 

Oli was appointed Prime Minister on 30 June 13 days later on the basis of the seven-point agreement reached between Congress and UML on 17 June 2008. In the 25-member cabinet, there are 10 from UML including the Prime Minister, 11 from Congress including two state ministers, 2 from Ashok Rai-led Jaspa, 1 minister from LOSPA and one state minister from Civil Unmukti. 

Bagmati province government change in Baluwatar In the discussion held on Thursday in Baluwatar, there was a discussion about what procedure to follow after Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama did not resign despite the change of parliamentary party within the Congress. The leaders of the two parties, accompanied by Attorney General Ramesh Badal, discussed the constitutional options if Lama does not resign. 

Congress Vice President Khadka said that the latest developments were reviewed in the meeting as it was an internal matter within the Congress. The Congress leaders proposed to the Prime Minister, who is also the President of the UML, to remove Lama from the post of Chief Minister and make Indra Bahadur Banian, the state MP who is also the Chairman of the Congress State Working Committee, the Chief Minister.

Lama has been removed as the leader of the parliamentary party through a motion of no confidence and has been elected as the new leader. Although the leader of the party has left, Lama has not resigned from the post of Chief Minister. As the leader of the parliamentary party of the party is not required to take the leadership of the joint government under Article 168 (2) of the constitution, the two parties discussed possible options when they were trying to remove Lama. A leader who participated in the meeting said that if Lama maintains his position that he will not resign, the option of withdrawing the support given by UML to the government was discussed. 

Deputy Chairman Khadka believes that a solution can be reached by Friday. "Since it is an internal matter within the Congress, we will try to settle it first, otherwise we will discuss further later," he said.

Deuba has already discussed with Lama on Thursday. He came to Kathmandu after being called by Lama Deuba who was in Hetaunda. However, he said that he has not reached a decision on whether to resign or face the upcoming challenge. "I am discussing with my team, I will take a decision according to the feeling of the team," he said. 

Oli's desire

• - Not to move Finance Minister Paudel and Communication Minister Gurung

- Education Minister Pant and General Administration Minister Neupane will continue since they were recently appointed, change other ministers

Deuba's problem

• - Foreign Minister Rana and Home Minister Akhtar cannot be removed 

- Urban Development Minister Singh and Health Minister Paudel cannot be used, fear of sending the wrong message if only the rest are replaced

000

'Prime Minister has not brought up the matter of changing ministers'

- Purna Bahadur Khadka, Congress Vice President

Was there no discussion on reorganizing the cabinet in Baluwatar on Thursday?

There is no talk, discussion, context about changing the ministers of the federal government. There is no agenda in that regard. I don't know how it came out.

Congress president Deuba is saying that the prime minister could not take a decision because he did not want to change the ministers, right? Not a

, just a rumor. There was no discussion about changing the minister in any of the meetings I attended.

Even if the Congress does not want it, the Prime Minister wants it, right?

The prime minister has not said that he will change the minister. He never spoke about changing the minister in any of the meetings I was involved in. Instead, the ministers have to be told to work more effectively, to be active in public service work. I also say, you have also said from time to time that you had to say. But the matter of changing the minister has not come to the prime minister's mouth. Some positive aspects of reform were discussed today. I don't know if there was a 'one to one' talk between the two of them, but there was no discussion on this matter.

What was discussed?

How to make the government effective, the procedures to be made by the Ministry of Finance, the Planning Commission to quickly implement the budget passed by the Parliament, and to quickly pass the bills pending in the Parliament, to work on issues that need to be coordinated between some unions and provinces, to create an environment for issues that need to be resolved in the peace process, and to quickly form an internal working group on issues related to the amendment of the Constitution.

How are you finalizing the issue of changing the leadership of the Bagmati state government?

was tasked with reviewing the latest political developments in Bagmati. We said that it was an internal matter within the Congress, we would sort it out in a day or two and thanked the UML for the support. They said ok, it's your thing, arrange it. Nothing more happened.

After the Chief Minister did not resign, how will the process proceed? The

is believed to reach a conclusion by Friday.

000

'Council of Ministers can be reshuffled only with the consent of Congress'

- Prithvisubba Gurung, Government Spokesman

Is the Council of Ministers about to be reshuffled?

To reconstitute the cabinet, there should be an agreement mainly between the power partners Congress and UML. According to the information that I have received, that matter has not been discussed.

Did you say that ministers can change when the decision of the cabinet is announced on Friday?

The Prime Minister said that he can reconstitute the Cabinet with the consent of the ruling party. But the Prime Minister has not indicated anything about reorganization.

The prime minister said that when UML appointed a minister, it was done for one year, didn't it? The

i Prime Minister said that the minister's performance would be better at that time. There was an intention to do so much in a year. Many minister has reached a year. The performance is performance. Based on that, the Council of Ministers may be restructured if the Council of Ministers want. Recailing the Minister back, the new one is always open. Does the Congress President Sher Baha Bahadur Deuba, the Congress President of Sher Bahadur Devua does not restructure