National
First Cabinet meeting catalogues priorities
The first Cabinet meeting of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday set the priorities of the government.The first Cabinet meeting of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday set the priorities of the government.
Holding the second phase of local elections on June 28 and two other polls—provincial and federal—by January next year are government’s top priorities, said Minister for Finance Gyanedra Karki after the meeting.
The country must hold all the elections by Janury 21 next year as per the constitutional deadline.
The first Cabinet meeting, according to Minister Karki, has listed five priorities of the government—implementation of the constitution, holding local and other two elections, expediting reconstruction works, ensuring effective service delivery [to the general public] and maintaining law and order and completing the remaining task of the peace process.
Deuba is currently leading an eight-member Cabinet, which has three deputy prime ministers.
An amendment to the constitution in order to address the concerns of the agitating Madhes-based parties has been listed under the constitution implementation.
Hours before Parliament voted to elect the new prime ministers, the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre) had signed a three-point agreement with the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) on Tuesday, promising to amend the constitution.
The RJP-N has long been demanding an amendment to the constitution and has yet to commit to the second phase of local polls, saying it will not take part in the elections unless its demands are addressed.
Completion of the remainints tasks of the peace process was the agenda of Deuba’s predecessor Pushpa Kamal Dahal as well. Concluding the peace process will mean the government needs to take immediate steps to amend the laws related to the transitional justice bodies which have not been able to investigate even a single
case—out of around 59,000 complaints filed during their two-year tenure—since their mandates were extended for one year in February.
Minister Karki said the government would start working immediately to ensure effective service delivery to the people and expedite economic development. The meeting also named Minister Kari as the government spokesperson until a new arrangment is made.
Things to do
- Constitution implementation, statute amendment
- Second phase of local polls on June 28, two other elections by Jan next year
- Expediting reconstruction works
- Ensuring effective service delivery [to the public] and maintaining law and order
- Completing the remaining task of the peace process