The government has expedited backdoornegotiations with the left alliance for appointing governors for the sevenprovinces in consensus with the alliance, postponing a scheduled cabinetmeeting to Wednesday. The cabinet meeting was to have been held Tuesdayafternoon. 

According to highly placed sources, thegovernment has asked the left alliance to recommend three of the governors--twofrom CPN-UML and one from CPN (Maoist Center)--for appointment by the cabinetmeeting now scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday. The sources further claimed thatthe ruling Nepali Congress (NC)  for its part would recommend threegovernors also. The Madhes-based parties would recommend the governor for Province-2. 

Commerce Minister Min Bahadur Biswakarma, who isamong those in Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's inner circle, admitted thatthe cabinet meeting was postponed with a view to taking the left alliance intoconfidence before the decision on governors. 
“The prime minister has been making a last-ditch effort to bring the UML, theMaoists and also the Madhes-based parties on board before appointing thegovernors,” Biswakarma told Republica. However, he didn't go intodetails. 

According to sources, Prime Minister Deuba hasdeployed party leaders Bimalendra Nidhi and Krishna Sitaula for negotiationswith the left alliance. UML leader Bishnu Paudel and some others have also beeninvolved in the negotiations for governatorial appointments. UML has staked aclaim to at least three governors, said the sources. 

Rastriya Janata Party Nepal has alreadyrecommended Umakanta Jha for governor of Province-2. However, the decision hasdrawn flak within the party. Some leaders said publicly that the decision was takenunilaterally by Presidium Member Mahantha Thakur. 

The government has been delaying a decision ongovernors and provincial capitals as the left alliance had declined to acceptownership of it. Meanwhile, protests have already erupted in various districtsdemanding the locating of provincial capitals in their own areas. 

“Fixing temporary provincial capitals is part ofthe implementation of federalism. All parties involved in promulgating the newconstitution should join hands for this task,” Physical Infrastructure MinisterBir Bahadur Balayar said. “But the left alliance has been avoiding involvementin order to corner the ruling party.” 

The minister further claimed that the governmenthas been delaying the decision on governors and capitals in a bid to minimizethe tensions and protests that it will probably trigger in various parts of thecountry. “If such decisions are taken through all-party consensus, anyparty-affiliated protests will be settled by party leadership at the locallevels,” he added. 

Last week the Election Commission (EC) gave aFriday deadline to the government to appoint the governors. The EC has saidthat if the governors are not appointed in time it cannot conduct the NationalAssembly poll on the scheduled date. The government has decided to hold thatpoll on February7.                                                                                                                                                                    

 Source: My Republica, 17^thJanuary 2018