He said the parties can end the deadlock by reaching an understanding to withdraw the candidacy and start the prime ministerial election process afresh in a changed context. [break]
The second option, according to him, is to make one of the two candidates win. This can be possible only after the parties that have remained neutral become ready to change their stance and support any one of the two candidates.
"I have told top leaders of the major political parties about these alternatives. There is no other option left," Nembang said.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal of UCPN (Maoist) and Ram Chandra Poudel of Nepali Congress (NC), which are in the race for prime minister, have failed to garner majority votes in parliament in the six rounds of voting held so far. Third largest party CPN-UML and Madhes-based political parties have remained neutral in the vote.
While Dahal has said in public that he would withdraw his candidacy if Paudel is ready for that, the latter has clearly rejected the idea.
Paudel has said withdrawing the proposal was not possible as the election process is already in advanced stage.
- Regulation allows withdrawal of candidacy
- There is no room for speaker to use prerogative
But the speaker said the parliamentary regulations on the voting procedures allows withdrawing the candidacy. "Article 22 of the parliamentary regulations has said the candidacy can be withdrawn after the concerned party files a written request at the Parliament Secretariat," he said. Such a proposal, however, needs to be endorsed by a House meeting.
When asked about the criticism from various quarters that the speaker´s has not been playing effective role to end the deadlock, Nembang claimed he can´t do anything more than what he is doing now.
Some leaders and experts say the Speaker is not using his prerogative to end the deadlock. He said he can use prerogatives only if confusion arises over any particular provision in the regulations or if parliament faces a problem not envisioned by the regulations.
"But our regulations have clearly directed us to continue the voting process until one of the candidates is elected. In the present case, I can neither use prerogative nor interpret the regulations differently," he explained.
On the provision of casting vote on neutral position, Nembang said he can´t stop anyone from using the right since the regulations have clearly allowed lawmakers to cast their votes in one of the three options -- yes, no and neutral.
This practice was set when Girija Prasad Koirala was elected prime minister in consensus immediately after the success of People´s Movement-II in 2006. At that time, the parties chose to elect him through parliament instead of appointing him from the then King Gyanendra.
It was later incorporated in the parliament regulations and Maoist Chairman Dahal and UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal were elected parliament as per the same provision.
"Picking a new prime minister by endorsing a proposal through parliament´s majority is a unique provision introduced by us. It has invited some complications as well but we have to settle those through consensus," he said.
Speaker not effective: Koirala
Nepali Congress (NC) Acting President Sushil Koirala on Monday has accused Speaker Subash Nembang of not playing constructive role to end the political deadlock surrounding the election of prime minister.
"Though parliament is supposed to finalize the Prime Minister Speaker should have taken initiative to facilitate that process," he said. "But he has failed to work according to his responsibility," Koirala said at a function in Kaski on Monday.
Koirala argued that it is the responsibility of the speaker to resolve the issue after repeated failure of the parliament to elect a prime minister. "He should not be just summoning house and ringing bells."
Koirala argued that Speaker Nembang should exert pressure on all political parties to arrive at consensus to elect new prime minister.
thira@myrepublica.com
Related story
Net Neutrality in Nepal
