We left the government as PM failed to follow agreement: UML

The CPN (UML) has quit the government withdrawing its support to it. The UML left the government 65 days after it joined it. The Secretariat meeting of the party had said on February 25 that it would remain in government. However, the Secretariat meeting today made a decision to quit the government.

A decision has been made to leave the government citing the agreement made on January 25 while forming the government was not abided by, said Party’s Vice Chair Bishnu Prasad Poudel, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, addressing a news conference following the Secretariat meeting.

As he said, although the UML had thought of remaining in the government, the Prime Minister’s latest statements and treatment towards the UML and the Ministers from the party made it uncomfortable to remain in the government.

Vice Chair Poudel said that the UML had joined the present government for protecting the constitution and the national autonomy as these are the national responsibilities as well and as government formation is not only the power-sharing.

Stating that the government’s policy priorities and common minimum programmes were made public with the consensus among the ruling parties for making the government successful, he said, “The government had forwarded the policy and programmes by owning it. We wanted that policy priority to be implemented in an effective manner. We had hoped that the government would move ahead as per the agreement reached on January 25 between the two parties at the time of formation of this government. But the political developments were not in accordance with this.”

The UML had participated in the government led by the CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on January 25.The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has also withdrawn its support to the government and quit it before this.