Nepal, July 13 -- The political turmoil that pushed Nepal's traditional ruling parties into opposition at the federal level is now spilling into the provinces, where coalition partners are locked in bitter disputes over leadership changes, ministerial reshuffles and budget allocations.

The Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and Nepali Communist Party (NCP), which suffered setbacks in the House of Representatives election held in March, have been pushed into the opposition at the federal level. However, despite their weakened position in the national parliament, the parties are still engaged in a fierce struggle to retain and expand their influence in provincial governments.

Rather than focusing on internal reforms and rebuilding public conf...