KATHMANDU, Aug 22: As hope wanes for the major parties to come together to form a national consensus government, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav on Sunday extended the seven-day deadline by three more days at the request of all the political parties to explore possibility for political understanding.
The parties sought more time from the president after an all-party meeting on Sunday afternoon as they could not agree on a new government acceptable to all by Sunday when the first week-long deadline issued by Yadav for forming such a government expired.[break]
JP Gupta, the chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (Republican), told Republica that though the parties were not enthusiastic about extending the deadline for forming a consens government, they agreed to seek an extension after prime minister hopeful Sher Bahadur Deuba pressed them.
Deuba had asked all the parties to request the president to extend the deadline invoking past precedence. In the past, the parties had always sought an extension of the deadline whenever they failed to agree on a consensus government within the initial deadlines. Deuba had wanted a five-day extension.
"Let´s extend the deadline even though we have not made any progress. Earlier, we had extended the deadline. If we don´t extend the deadline it will mean that we are against consensus and we are in a hurry to go for a majority government. So, let´s extend the deadline for five more days," Gupta quoted Deuba as saying.
Dahal was not enthusiastic about Deuba´s proposal. However, he lent his support, fearing that opposing the proposal would project him as being against a consensus government.
"I don´t see possibility of agreement. My all efforts in the past seven days went in vain. I tried to do what Nepali Congress wanted but the NC kept on changing its position. So, if you all want to extend the deadline, you can. I don´t want to present myself as being against consensus," Gupta quoted Dahal as saying in the all-party meeting called to discuss the deadline extension.
Even the CPN-UML and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) were not keen for extending the deadline in view of the slim possibility of parties coming to consensus.
According to Gupta, UDMF, an alliance of five Madhes-based political parties, had suggested to other parties that it was better to hold election for prime minister in parliament instead of seeking extension of deadline.
While accepting their request, the president has asked the parties to make the best use of the extended time.
If the parties fail to arrive at consensus, the president will invoke Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution and write to the parliament to hold election for the prime minister. Earlier, the president had asked parties to form a national consensus government under Article 38 (1) after Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal stepped down on August 14.
Keep SC verdict in mind: Prez tells parties
As the August 31 deadline for the extended term of Constituent Assembly (CA) is fast approaching, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav urged top political leaders to keep in mind the Supreme Court verdict with regard to CA term extension.
The leaders were reminded of the court order when they met the president at his Shital Niwas office Sunday afternoon to request him to extend the deadline for three days more for forming a consensus coalition government.
"As the August 31 deadline for CA term extension is fast approaching, I would like to remind you the Supreme Court verdict about the CA term extension. I call upon the political parties to keep the court verdict in mind," CPN-ML leader CP Mainali, who was present in the meeting, quoted the head of state as saying.
The apex court in its ruling on CA term extension had said the CA term can´t be renewed for more than six months though legal experts have differing interpretations of the verdict.
Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal, Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala, UCPN (Maoist) Vice-Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic Bijay Gachchhadar, Mainali of CPN-ML and Sarita Giri of Sadbhabana Party-Anandidevi were among those who met the president today with a request to extend the deadline for forming a consensus government.
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