KATHMANDU, Dec. 19: Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has made it clear before President Dr Ram Baran Yadav that he was not an obstacle to a consensus.
In a meeting with the President at Rastrapati Bhawan, Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai shared that he was of the view that a people´s constitution should be drafted from the constituent assembly even during the people´s war and that he always fought for a constitution including republic and federalism.[break]
Apprising the President of the efforts and discussions held so far with political parties for a consensus and the latest developments towards that end, the Prime Minister made it clear that there was no truth in the ongoing publicity that he was standing before a consensus.
"The ongoing publicity describing the Prime Minister as an obstacle to a consensus is not true, I am a person who advocated for a people´s constitution from the constituent assembly even during the people´s wartime and who fought for a constitution along with republic and federalism", Dr Bhattarai told reporters following the meeting.
Stating that his biggest desire as the Prime Minister was to hold elections on time and to draft the constitution from the constituent assembly, Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai said the statement that I am an obstacle does not hold truth in any way.
Dr Bhattarai´s clarification comes in wake of the recent news reports describing the Prime Minister as an obstacle in the context of the President extending the term for a consensus government for the fifth time.
The Prime Minister also shared with the President that he would be making an effort again for a consensus. Dr Bhattarai also informed journalists that he told the President that a consensus would be reached with an agreement to hold elections in May, for which the Government would do its utmost.