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A Cabinet meeting has started at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singhadurbar on Monday. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called the Cabinet meeting after the eight ministers of the CPN-UML tender their resignation. Earlier this afternoon, the UML had decided to pull out of the government. After the UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Swatantra Party quit the government, only the CPN (Maoist Center) and Janamat Party are in the government.    

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has decided to continue its support to the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. After the Central Committee held on Monday, party Deputy General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti said that the party will not withdraw the support extended to the Dahal-led government immediately. The party, however, has already pulled out of the government. Burlakoti said that the party will continue its support to the government until the next development in Nepali politics. He said that the party has not made any decision on the presidential election yet. Saying that the meeting has decided to take part in the by-election in Chitwan-2, Burlakoti said that the party will be registered with the Election Commission soon.  

The CPN-UML, the second largest party in the Parliament, has decided to quit the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. A Secretariat meeting held on Monday has also decided to withdraw the support extended to the Dahal-led government, party Vice-Chairman Bishnu Paudel said. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Paudel said that he would tender his resignation today itself.  

Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal’s Geneva visit has been canceled at the direction of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Minister Paudyal was scheduled to leave for Geneva this evening to take part in a program of the Human Rights Council. She took part in the government from the CPN-UML. A source at the Foreign Ministry said that Minister Paudyal’s Geneva visit was canceled at the direction of PM Dahal. During a press conference organized by the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, Minister Paudyal informed about her Geneva visit. Though the alliance between the CPN (Maoist Center) and the CPN-UML had broken down over the presidential election, the UML has not left the government. The UML was expected to pull out of the government after the Maoist Center supported the Nepali Congress candidate in the presidential election. During the Secretariat meeting held on Saturday, the UML had said that it has no plan to leave the government.