KATHMANDU, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) on Thursday decided to join the government led by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M)after assured with the second position in the cabinet.
CPN-UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal on Thursday said his party decided to join the government after the CPN-M leaders agreed to make party's nominee for Home Ministry Bamdev Gautam the most senior minister in the cabinet after Prime Minister Prachanda.
CPN-M Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as Prachanda, agreed to the demand of the 3rd largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA) CPN-UML during a meeting with CPN-UML general secretary Knanal on Thursday.
The CPN-UML, a major coalition partner, has refused to join the CPN-M-led government without second position in the government on last Friday.
"The protocol issue has been resolved. Gautam will be in the second position," the general secretary told reporters after the meeting held at the CPN-M's parliamentary party office at Singha Durbar in Nepali capital Kathmandu.
Khanal said the six CPN-UML ministers would be sworn in on Friday and that there wouldn't be reconsideration over the selection of ministers.
CPN-UML has nominated Gautam, Bisnu Poudel, Ram Chandra Jha, Astha Laxmi Shakya, Gopal Shakya and Kiran Gurung as ministers.
The CPN-UML has decided to send Bishnu Paudel for Ministry of Water Resources portfolio, Kiran Gurung for Forest and Soil Conservation, Gopal Shakya in Youth and Sports, Ram Chandra Jha in Local Development and Astalaxmi Shakya in Industry and Commerce, besides Gautam.
The cabinet of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal was formed last Friday. Among the eight ministers sworn in, four are from CPN-M, while the other four are from the fourth largest CA party, the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF).
On Aug. 15, the CPN-UML and MPRF, together with most of the other minor CA parties, jointly voted Prachanda for the post of prime minister.
