CPN (Maoist Centre) decides against pulling out of Deuba government

The CPN (Maoist Centre), a key partner in Nepal's ruling coalition, on Tuesday decided against pulling out support to the Sher Bahadur Deuba government hours after announcing that it was going to withdraw.

The CPN (Maoist Centre), led by former Premier Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', last month joined a leftist alliance led by main opposition CPN-UML, leaving the Nepali Congress led by Deuba unsure of its future moves.

Speaking at a press meet organised at the Home Ministry on Tuesday afternoon, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader and Home Minister Janardan Sharma claimed that the party cancelled its earlier decision to pull out of the government after receiving a tip that the government is considering deferring the election dates, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The federal and provincial elections have been scheduled for November 26 and December 7.

A Parliamentary Party meet of the Maoist Centre was convened at the party central office in Paris Danda to decide to quitting the government.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Deuba said that democracy is challenged by the leftist alliance.

Deuba, who is Nepali Congress president, said it was necessary to make the Congress victorious in the elections to safeguard democracy.

"The communists are trying to establish communism by using the democratic system and fooling the people. It is necessary for all the democrats to be alert about this," said the Prime Minister.

He said the country would be in peril if democracy is threatened, and called on all the Nepali Congress people to be united to defend democracy. "Finishing off democracy means the end of the Nepali Congress," he added, the Himalayan Times reported.

Minister Sharma told the media that they received secret information from the Election Commission (EC) about the government's plan to postpone the elections when the Maoist ministers were preparing to sign the mass resignation.

"We joined the government to ensure the conduction of elections in time. Why would we quit the government, if the elections are to be deferred. We have called off the issue of quitting government for the time being," said Minister Sharma.

During the Parliamentary Party meeting, CPN (MC) leaders reportedly argued that quitting the government when there is information regarding the postponement of the elections, would put the nation in peril.

The CPN (Maoist Centre) came under moral pressure to quit after Deuba expanded his Cabinet inducting eight ministers from Rastriya Prajatantra Party. It has been learnt that Deuba is preparing to convert the CPN (MC) Cabinet members as ministers without portfolio if the party stays put in the Cabinet.

Prime Minister Deuba during the final Parliament meet on October 14 had hinted at removing CPN (MC) ministers from the government.

The Communist parties -- CPN-UML led by former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Naya Shakti Party-Nepal of former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai -- formed an alliance last month.

--IANS

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