Introduction of budget has become uncertain as Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is still lobbying for the remaining two-third budget without including new programs and policies.[break]
As an interim arrangement, the government in July had brought the one-third budget prepared by Jhalanath Khanal-led government and endorsed by the dissolved parliament as the opposition parties didn´t allow the present caretaker government to introduce a full-fledged budget with new programs and policies.
While the opposition parties are against allowing the present caretaker government to bring budget in any form, the president told the prime minister that he can endorse budget ordinance only for one-third, based on the doctrine of necessity.
"The president has promised the prime minister that he would endorse one-third budget based on the doctrine of necessity because the country can´t be pushed into a situation without budget," the president´s Press Advisor Rajendra Dahal told Republica.
Officials at the prime minister´s office said that leaders are deferring any decision as efforts to reach a deal in a package were underway.
"We want to bring full-fledged budget and are also involved in negotiations to reach a package deal on budget, forming national unity government and holding fresh elections," the prime minister´s Political Advisor Devendra Paudel told Republica.
The government repeatedly announced dates to bring new budget but had to defer them due to failure to garner opposition parties´ consent which the president is seeking. The head of state has repeatedly told the prime minister that he can´t endorse any ordinance for bringing a budget if new programs are included without political consensus in the absence of parliament.
Prez likely to set a deadline
After months of negotiations among the leaders from major political parties yielded no result, the president is likely to formally set a deadline to elect a prime minister in political consensus to head a national unity government.
Officials said the president may take such a move after the November 22, the date set by the government for election, passes without any result.
"November 22 is a major reference date in this connection. So the president may have to set the deadline after that," said Dahal. "It is conditional because the president will take the formal step only if there is no progress even by that time."
According to United Madhesi Democratic Front (UDMF) Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar, the president at the meeting urged the top leaders to find a solution through consensus before November 22. "He repeatedly urged the leaders to find a consensual solution by November 22," Gachchhadar told reporters while emerging from the president´s office.
The president convened a meeting of chiefs of four major political forces -- UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and UDMF -- at the president´s office on Monday. But the leaders once again wrapped up the meeting vowing to reach a deal in a package. However the meeting briefly held at the residence of NC President Sushil Koirala later on the same day made no headway.
An informal meeting of standing committee members of CPN-UML held briefly in the afternoon concluded that the prime minister should suggest the president in writing to take initiative to form national consensus government if Bhattarai really didn´t want to be a stumbling block in resolving the impasse.
"Our conclusion is that the prime minister´s suggestion in writing to the president will be the most legitimate and safest way to end the stalemate," CPN-UML Secretary Shankar Pokharel told Republica.
The UML leaders took the decision after the prime minister at the president´s office argued that he wouldn´t create any obstruction if the parties came up with a solution.
At the meeting, the prime minister had to assure the leaders from opposition parties that he was ready to cooperate with the parties instead of creating any obstruction as UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal accused the prime minister of not taking any concrete initiative toward nurturing consensus.
The opposition parties are determined not to allow the government to introduce budget in any form. Pokharel made it clear that they were entirely against letting the government unveiling budget-- be it full-fledged, with the older programs or one-third of the latest budget that was endorsed by the dissolved parliament.
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