“The prime minister took over the home ministry portfolio owing to the controversy. The Maoist party will get the portfolio very soon,” said Thapa talking to journalists at the Pokhara Airport. Thapa claimed that a political understanding to this effect has already been reached.[break]
When asked why his party is desperate to get the home ministry, Thapa said, “The Maoists are equally desperate to get other ministerial portfolios as well.”
In a question why Maoist cadres close to Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal tried to obstruct Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai´s visit to Gorkha recently, Thapa said a minor controversy at the local level over making Bhattarai chief guest of a program led to the confusion. “That happened due to information gap,” Thapa said.
In a separate question, Thapa said that neither Nepal Army nor other security agencies can talk about how the Maoist combatants should be integrated. But he added that the security agencies can make suggestions to the government about integration barring the modality of integration.
On the recent split of Maoist trade union into three groups, Thapa said initiatives will be taken to unite the groups as none of them have gone out of the party line. “The legitimate [faction] trade union will be recognized by the party.”
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