A senior minister of the four-party government has conceded that the government has not been able to implement the common minimum program (CMP) effectively.

“The implementation of the CMP has not been up to the mark. The government is passing through a difficult time,” said Yuba Raj Gyawali, Minister for Local Development who represents the CPN UML. He said this at an interaction program organized by Press Chautari Nepal today in Kathmandu.

Saying that the government was facing a tough challenge to bring the Maoists to the negotiating table, the minister said there was no logic in seeking removal of the government on grounds of the absence of peace.

“It is the rebel party that is not ready for peace talks even as the government has pledged to discuss all their demands,” he said and claimed that the formation of the Peace Secretariat was one of the major achievements of the government.

Speaking at the same program, spokespersons of three key ruling allies, the UML, Nepali Congress (Democratic) and the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lamented the poor performance of the government.

UML spokesperson Pradeep Nepal said the government by now had proven itself a complete non-starter. “It seems the government has taken the CMP as a burden. There is nothing that can be cited as the achievement of this government,” he said.

In the 43-point CMP, the four ruling parties had promised, among other things, to start the peace process at the earliest.

Likewise, RPP spokesperson Roshan Karki said, “Much is said about the CMP but nothing has been done to turn it into deeds.”

Dr Minendra Rijal, head of the publicity department of the NC (D), also said that the government was not smart enough regarding the implementation of the CMP. “But it is trying to fulfill the commitments made in the CMP,” he defended. nepalnews.com mbk Dec 11 04