CPN-UML to lead next government, says Nepal Deputy Prime Minister

Kathmandu: Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Bamdev Gautam on Thursday said the next government to be formed after the promulgation of the new Constitution in July will be headed by his CPN-UML party which will lead the massive post-earthquake relief work.

"The new constitution will be ready within the Nepali month of Ashad, that is mid-July and the new government will be in place towards July-end, as soon as the constitution is promulgated," said Gautam who is also Nepal's Home Minister and the acting president of Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML).

Nepal's four major political parties - Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Unified CPN-Maoist and Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum (Democratic) - have recently reached a 16-point deal to divide the country into eight federal units ending a months-long deadlock and paving the way for drafting the Constitution.

Gautam claimed that his party is most capable of leading the post quake reconstruction and rehabilitation works as it has already demonstrated its capability in the past month taking part in the reconstruction works in different parts of the country.

Two major earthquakes, on April 25 and May 12, killed nearly 9,000 people in Nepal, destroying several thousand homes.

CPN-UML, the second largest party in the coalition government, has projected its chairman 63-year-old KP Sharma Oli as the next prime ministerial candidate. Oli is currently in New Delhi for a health check up.

An informal understanding was reached when Nepali Congress' Sushil Koirala became Prime Minister in February, 2014 with the support of CPN-UML, according to which Koirala would vacate the top post for a CPN-UML candidate once the Constitution is promulgated through the Constituent Assembly.

CPN-UML is mobilising over 50,000 organised cadres across the country in its three-day rehabilitation and reconstruction campaign starting from Friday.

Gautam asked international donors to provide more help in the form of financial assistance by honouring the government's single-door policy.

He made his remarks ahead of the international donors meeting scheduled to take place in Kathmandu on June 25, where more than 609 donor countries, donor agencies and global financial institutions will gather and discuss ways to help Nepal in its post-quake reconstruction and recovery efforts.

Gautam said that the promises made by many donor countries and agencies have not materialised which has left the country in a resource crunch making the reconstruction work more challenging.