Won't resign until new parliament elected: PM

KATHMANDU, June 25: Ignoring resignation demands of the opposition parties and Mohan Baidya´s CPN-Maoist, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai Monday said he would not resign until a new government is formed by an elected parliament.

The prime minister said this at Tribhuvan International Airport upon his return home from the Rio+20 summit in Brazil. He termed the demand for resignation as "children crying for toys".[break]

"It is like children´s demand for a specific toy. The responsibility of the prime minister is not like a toy that can just be handed over whenever someone demands," the prime minister said when journalists asked if he would step down.

The prime minister, flanked by two deputy prime ministers, further added, "There is no alternative of the present government under the Interim Constitution. This government will continue until a parliament is elected and a new government is formed by the parliament. Everyone should be clear about this."

The prime minister was of the view that the opposition parties would stop demanding his resignation after some time, much in the way as "a child stops crying for toys after some time".

"A child cries for a toy, and even bangs his head [if the toy is not given], gets tired after some time and resumes his normal activities. Same will happen to the political parties [that have been demanding my resignation]," the prime minister further said.

He also refuted news reports that quoting his Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the prime minister would resign if needed to pave the way for forging consensus among political parties. "That is completely wrong," the prime minister said of the news reports.

Dahal had told a meeting of top leaders of major political parties last week that his party does not give priority to the prime ministerial post and the prime minister could resign for the sake of forging consensus. The prime minister was out of the country when the parties held their first meeting after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly.

The prime minister said he told the top leaders including his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh that the government was committed to completing the peace process and constitution writing.

On the Maoist party split, he said it was not a split and that some dissident leaders had left the party and they would rejoin the party after some time.

He also said the government is preparing to bring a full-fledged budget through ordinance.