RSP to withdraw its support to Dahal-led government

KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has decided to withdraw its support to the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda-led government.

A joint meeting of the party’s Central Committee and Parliamentary Party held at the party office in Basundhara on Friday decided to withdraw its support to the government.

The decision comes amid Prime Minister Dahal’s assurances of fulfilling the party’s demands.

Even other political parties in the ruling coalition tried to bring RSP on board.

However, the RSP alleged the government for “removing” its agenda from the government’s Common Minimum Program (CMP).

Most of the central members and parliamentarians who spoke in today’s meeting were of the opinion that it would be difficult to work with two or three ministries in the government.

“The meeting concluded that joining the government and working out for substantive change under the incumbent government is not easy as the party might need to remain quiet in wrong decisions of the government which might ultimately defame the party; hence, the party decided to join the opposition,” the lawmaker said under anonymity.

RSP which had been claiming to join the opposition had suddenly joined CPN-Maoist Center Chairman Prachanda-led government on December 25 and quit the government after the UML-Maoist Center alliance split.

Despite leaving the government, the RSP had been supporting the government to date.

RSP has 21 lawmakers in the House of Representatives.