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RSP Not To Evacuate Government Immediately

Feb 2, Kathmandu: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has given two days to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and coordinator of high-level political mechanism and CPN UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli to think about its Home Ministry claim.

The joint meeting of the central committee and parliamentary party of RSP held at the party office, Basundhara, on Thursday evening decided to provide two more days to PM Dahal and UML Chairman Oli to decide on whether they agree to confer the home ministry portfolio on RSP, according to a party spokesperson, Mukul Dhakal.

“Just before beginning the meeting, both PM Dahal and UML Chairman Oli requested the party for two more days for them to mull, so the RSP showed political honesty and postponed the meeting for deciding whether they stay or not in the government,” Dhakal shared with the media after the meeting.

RSP Chairman Lamichhane had lost the posts of Deputy Prime Minister Home Minister and party Chair at once after his citizenship was annulled by Supreme Court on January 27. He had become the DPM and Home Minister in the Dahal-led government on December 26.

Currently, RSP is holding three ministries- Labour, Employment, and Social Security by Dol Prasad Aryal; Education by Sishir Khanal; and Health by Dr. Toshima Karki (Minister of State). However, Lamichhane regained Nepali citizenship from Kathmandu District Office two days after the court verdict by adhering to the legal procedure.

Despite losing the posts of DPM and the Home Minister with the court verdict, the RSP is claiming its stake in the home ministry portfolio. Meanwhile, the Maoist Centre has urged the RSP and its Chairman Lamichhane to stay patient till the full text of the Supreme Court verdict on his citizenship case was released.