KATHMANDU: Nepal’s two major communist parties-the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML) and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP)-have reached an agreement to cooperate in forming governments across all seven provinces.

The agreement was formally signed on Friday by CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and NCP Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.

Under the power-sharing deal, the NCP-UML will lead the provincial governments in Koshi, Bagmati, and Lumbini, while the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) will head the governments in Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces.

For Madhesh and Gandaki provinces, the agreement states that the leadership and structure of the provincial governments will be determined through consultations with other political parties represented in the respective provincial assemblies.

The agreement marks a significant step in institutionalizing cooperation between the two communist parties at the provincial level following their recent political rapprochement.

The agreement was witnessed by Bishnu Prasad Paudel on behalf of the CPN-UML and Barshaman Pun on behalf of the CPN. Both leaders had also served as key witnesses during the formation of the erstwhile Nepal Communist Party (NCP) in 2018.

According to party sources, Prachanda had entrusted Pun with the responsibility of finalizing the agreement before departing for Sri Lanka, while Paudel became actively involved in the negotiations after releasing from custody.