NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel told Republica that Dahal floated this proposal to him and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal recently.[break]
"The deadlock is not good for the country and we should not prolong it any further. The NC and UML should now form a new coalition government. We are ready to play the role of a constructive opposition party to conclude the peace process and write the constitution," Paudel quoted Dahal as saying.
Paudel claimed that Dahal had also said the same thing to UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal just before the latter left for South Africa. "Later on, I took up the matter with Khanal and he said he would consult other leaders and reach a decision," Paudel said.
Asked how serious Dahal´s proposal was, Paudel said, "He seemed pretty serious when he talked to me and he hasn´t told me that he has changed his mind." However, he acknowledged that the Maoists have a history of changing their stances.
Paudel said he also discussed it with UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel at the NC parliamentary party office at Singha Durbar last week when all the other top UML leaders -- Chairman Khanal, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Sharma Oli -- had gone abroad.
"Pokharel suggested that the Maoists should also be a part of the new coalition. I am not opposed to that, but the Maoists themselves have said they want to remain in the opposition," Paudel said.
"The deadlock is not good for the country and we should not prolong it any further. The NC and UML should now form a new coalition government. We are ready to play the role of a constructive opposition to conclude the peace process and write the constitution," Paudel quoted Dahal as saying.
Paudel further claimed that he has discussed the Maoist chairman´s proposal with Prime Minister Madhav Nepal and the latter was positive about it.
UML Chairman Khanal, however, refuted that any proposal as such had been forwarded to him by Dahal.
"The latest proposal that we are discussing are the two models of power sharing during the remaining period of the transition -- presidium and rotational prime minister," said Khanal, adding, "I am not formally aware of any new proposal."
A senior UML leader, however, confided that the Maoist chairman did indeed float a proposal that the UML and NC should take into confidence the smaller parties and form the new government.
The UML leader said the upcoming central committee meeting of his party will take a formal decision on the proposal.
Paudel said it is now up to the UML whether it wants to break the political deadlock or protract it.
"The ball is now in the UML court," Paudel said.
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