LATEST NEWS:

Kamal Dev Bhattarai

The Kathmandu Post

Publication Date : 15-01-2013

A meeting of the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha ( SLMM ) yesterday decided to request President Ram Baran Yadav to stop setting deadlines for the parties to forge consensus on a new prime ministerial candidate.

The president initiated the process to form a unity government on November 23 last year, providing deadline after deadline to parties.

The meeting, held at the prime minister's residence in Baluwatar, concluded that if the head of state continues to extend the deadline for an indefinite period, it could erode the “dignity of the institution”.

“It is the duty of the political parties, not the president. It is meaningless to extend the deadline for an indefinite period," said Maoist leader Devendra Poudel, who is also PM Baburam Bhattarai's political advisor.

President Yadav's ninth deadline to form a unity government will expire today and the head of state is all set to organise an all-party meeting to urge parties to forge consensus at the earliest.

However, both the ruling and opposition parties seem to be losing hope for consensus. In the meeting, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that as chances of agreement among the parties are slim, the ruling parties should hit the streets to create an atmosphere for the revival of the dissolved Constituent Assembly (CA).

Dahal, however, said the ruling parties should still demonsrate maximum flexibility to forge consensus.

The ruling parties are preparing to raise the issue of CA revival as possibilities for elections in April-May have substantially decreased owing to differences among the parties.

According to one leader, the ruling parties are preparing to organise a mass meeting in major cities to “inform the people on why consensus is not possible.”

The meeting of the ruling coalition also decided to request President Yadav to endorse ordinances forwarded by the government, stating that all ordinances do not need broader political consensus.

"The president should endorse ordinances related to education, health and others directly related to the people," said Sadbhawana party Chairman Rajendra Mahato.