KATHMANDU: Citing dissatisfaction over Prime Minister K P Oli’s lack of responsiveness, the Samajbadi Party Nepal (SSPN) – a major partner in the Oli-led cabinet – has walked out of the government.
The party made a formal announcement on Tuesday alleging the Oli-led government for failing to heed to the party’s demands of the constitution amendment, a key demand of the SPN.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Upendra Yadav submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister on Tuesday after his efforts to endorse his proposal on the formation of a panel to prepare a constitution amendment proposal.
The party had joined the government in June 2018 following a two-point agreement – constitutional amendment and addressing the grievances of the people of Madhes.
As per the agreement with the government, the demands raised by the SPN would be addressed on the basis of mutual understanding, which the SPN leaders say were not met.
“Forget about addressing the issue, the demands were not even paid notice to,” Yadav said while announcing the party’s decision in Kathmandu today.
“We were in government to accomplish the mission of the constitution amendment,” he said adding, “We thought it worthless to stick in the government when our demands were ignored.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health, Yadav, who was in the third position in the hierarchy of the Oli-led government, was transferred to the Ministry of Law as what the party allege the PM of making the decision on November 25 ‘without consulting the party’ when Yadav was in India to attend an international function.
Since then, Yadav had assumed the charge of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
In fact, SPN National Chairperson Dr Baburam Bhattarai had been insisting that the party quit the government.
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