The ongoing central working committee (CWC) meeting on Saturday has given responsibility for holding talks to Acting President Sushil Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Poudel and General Secretary KB Gurung. [break]
“The party has decided to hold intensive dialogue with the CPN-UML, coalition partners and all other parties including the UCPN (Maoist) to resolve the deadlock over implementation of the three-point deal reached for accomplishing the remaining tasks in the peace process and constitution-drafting and for forging national consensus,” reads a press statement issued after the meeting.
NC´s decision to intensify dialogue with other parties comes amid lack of meaningful dialogue and progress towards forming a national consensus government even three weeks after the thee-point deal was reached.
The Maoists, NC and UML in the deal struck on May 28 agreed to form a national consensus government after arriving at consensus on issues related to the peace process and constitution-drafting.
Though the NC was under mounting pressure from within the party to lead the new government, the CWC meeting refrained from taking any formal decision over this, fearing that such a decision could harm unity among the ruling coalition partners.
According to a CWC member who asked to remain unnamed, the meeting avoided taking any decision for fear of possible polarization among the coalition partners.
Coalition partners including the CPN-ML and Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party have reportedly told the NC leadership that a decision by NC to lead a new government without holding consultations with them would be unacceptable.
An overwhelming majority of CWC members during Saturday´s deliberations suggested that the NC should first talk to other parties to see whether they agree to the NC leading the next government.
CWC members including Amar Raj Kaini, Narayan Khadka and Narahari Acharya had suggested the party leadership do the necessary homework before deciding to head the new government, saying such a decision would put moral pressure on Madhav Nepal to quit immediately.
NC has been asking Prime Minister Nepal not to step down before a national consensus is forged.
Altogether 19 CWC members including Purna Bahadur Khadka, Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Dil Bahadur Gharti, Govinda Raj Joshi, Purushottam Basnet, Khum Bahadur Khadka, Bal Krishna Khand, Minendra Rijal, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Krishna Sitaula, Mahesh Acharya and Arjun Narsingh KC had spoken during Saturday´s meeting.
A large number of CWC members argued that a NC-led government will have to face the fate of the Madhav Nepal-led government within two or three months if it fails to include the Maoists in the government.
According to Vice-president Gopal Man Shrestha, the row over who should lead the new government from the party has ended for now. “The meeting has decided to propose a prime ministerial candidate on the basis of consensus only if the NC is asked to lead the government,” he said.
Earlier, Ram Chandra Poudel, Sher Bahadur Deuba and Kul Bahadur Gurung had projected themselves as prime ministerial candidates in the new government.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
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