In provinces, Congress and UML are back to old rotational politics
Summary
Nepali Congress and CPN-UML leaders are negotiating to reshuffle provincial governments in a revival of turn-by-turn power-sharing politics across six of seven provinces, drawing criticism amid calls for reform.
Key Points
- Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are negotiating a power-sharing arrangement to reshuffle provincial governments across six provinces.
- Madhesh province is expected to remain under current leadership, while other provinces may see new chief ministers and coalition dynamics.
- Congress General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire and UML leader Rajan Bhattarai confirmed ongoing discussions amid disagreements over Sudurpaschim province and Nepali Communist Party involvement.
- Critics argue the negotiations contradict reformist promises by Congress leaders Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma, who pledged to end old-style coalition politics.
- Frequent government changes have raised questions about the effectiveness of federalism and have caused instability since the 2022 elections.
