Forest Minister Yadav resigns; Maoist leaders caught by surprise
Forest and Soil Conservation Minister Matrika Yadav, who represents the CPN (Maoist), resigned from his post on Thursday, citing his differences with the way the Koirala-led cabinet is functioning.
Yadav handed over his resignation letter to Information and Communication Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who leads the five-member Maoist team in the cabinet, to be forwarded to Prime Minister GP Koirala, it is learnt.
In the resignation letter, he cited such reasons as lack of cooperation from the Home Ministry in curbing the sandalwood smuggling; dissatisfaction over the ongoing talks with "criminal groups" operating in Terai, and the government's failure to act on involuntary disappearances. He further said his department was gripped by commission scandals.
Yadav is learnt to have been at loggerheads with a faction of Madhesi leaders of his party. Following internal differences, he had to resign as the chairman of the Maoist-affiliated Madhesi Rastriya Mukti Morcha.
He was equally at odds with Prime Minister Koirala due to his aggressive remarks on Nepal Army. A maverick minister, he had a verbal duel with PM Koirala soon after the Maoists joined the cabinet on April 1.
Meanwhile, Maoist leadership has indicated that Yadav's resignation came as a surprise to them. "There was no such decision to ask our ministers to resign. We certainly discussed in the central committee meeting that we will be morally unable to continue in the government in case of failure to hold elections," said Maoist deputy commander Barshaman Pun aka Ananta. He said Prachanda will be talking with Yadav over this issue. Yadav's resignation came immediately after the central committee meeting of the party ended on Thursday. nepalnews.com mk/sd Aug 02 07
