Prime Minister Nepal on Monday held a meeting with various ruling parties to seek their suggestions on summoning the budget session and unveiling a budget for fiscal year 2010/11. [break]
According to Chairman of CPN (United) Chandra Dev Joshi, Prime Minister Nepal expressed concern about the budget session and the government´s plan and polices during a meeting held at his office at Singha Durbar.
“There is no possibility of forming a new government any time soon,” he quoted the prime minister as saying. “What do I do about the budget in this situation?”
Prime Minister Nepal also asked the ruling parties to give him an alternative at the earliest for stepping down from office. He also expressed his desire to summon the budget session with the consensus of all parties.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, Sharat Singh Bhandari of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (Democratic) said they suggested to Prime Minister Nepal to go ahead with the work on the budget for the new fiscal year.
“We suggested the prime minister continue with regular government activities since there is slim chance of the formation of a national consensus government,” he said.
Bhandari said that the ruling allies asked the prime minister to go ahead in a determined manner till the big three parties agree on an alternative to him.
CP Mainali of CPN-ML, Mahantha Thakur of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, Rajendra Mahato of Sadbhawana Party, Keshav Mainali of Chure Bhawar Ekata Party, Prativa Rana of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Bishwendra Paswan of Dalit Janajati Party, Shyam Sundar Gupta of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) and Prem Bahadur Singh of Samajwadi Prajatantrik Janata Party Nepal, among others, participated in the meeting. Ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML representatives were not present.
Sadbhawana Party Chairman Mahato told media persons that he suggested the prime minister work towards summoning a budget session for June 25 and present the plan and policies of the government on June 29.
The ruling parties had suggested that the formation of a national consensus and the regular work of the government should go simultaneously.
They suggested the government continue its regular work including summoning the budget session and preparing a new budget since the big three parties have failed to arrive at consensus on the name of the candidate to head a new government and on issues related to the peace process and constitution drafting.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nepal also held a separate meeting with Chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) Upendra Yadav to discuss the budget session. Talking to media after the meeting, Yadav said they held discussions on implementation of the three-point deal and the budget session of parliament.
Speaker meets UML, Maoist chairmen
Speaker of the Legislature-Parliament Subas Nembang has continued his parleys with party leaders to summon the budget session at the earliest.
He held separate meetings with CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal and UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday and urged the two leaders to arrive at consensus at the earliest to summon the budget session. “I apprised the leaders that we cannot wait beyond June 19 to summon the budget session,” he told media.
Nembang reminded both leaders that failure on their part to implement the three-point deal had eroded the trust people repose in them. “I am optimistic the parties will soon arrive at consensus,” he said.
“There is no alternative to consensus. Maoist Chairman Dahal has also said that they must reach an agreement through dialogue and consensus,” he added.
Speaker Nembang held a similar meeting with Prime Minister Nepal on Sunday.
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