Sources close to the Prime Minister´s Office said the government started making fresh preparations after receiving an ´indication´ that consensus among political parties would be possible if the budget ordinance excludes financing of new development programs.[break]
"The government has started making preparations on a new budget that will only give continuity to programs that are already under implementation after the president suggested that it would be easy to forge consensus among parties on such a budget," said the prime minister´s political advisor, Devendra Paudel. He said the budget ordinance being prepared by the government now does not include any new program, unlike the case of the previous draft budget ordinance.
The latest government move comes a day after a two-hour long meeting between the president, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun on Friday afternoon. The president had asked the government to bring a budget keeping in view the spirit of the Interim Constitution, protests of opposition parties and the tradition and norms upheld by past governments ahead of fresh elections.
According to the president´s press advisor, Rajendra Dahal, the president told both the prime minister and finance minister that he was not against bringing in a new budget. "The president has asked them to bring a budget in such a way that he would have constitutional grounds to endorse it," Dahal said.
The president has been insisting the government work for consensus among parties on all decisions in the absence of parliament as per the preamble and Article 43 of the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007. Article 43 clearly states, "The conduct of business of the government shall be carried out in consistence with the aspirations of the united people´s movement, political consensus and culture of coalition".
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had also held a separate meeting with the president on Saturday evening. The two men are learnt to have discussed ways to resolve the looming budget crisis amid opposition parties standing firm on their demand that the current Baburam Bhattarai-led government must first step down before unveiling a new budget.
Main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) leader Ram Sharan Mahat said opposition parties were not in favor of a piecemeal deal. "We are firm on our stance that all contentious political issues should be settled together. The budget is a component of such a package agreement," he said.
With the government deciding to revise the budget ordinance to exclude new programs, the date of presenting the ordinance to the president has been deferred a few days. Earlier, the government had announced its intention to submit the budget ordinance on Friday.
Likewise, the volume of the new budget will come down from the previously readied Rs 460.11 billion, which included some populist programs. The government backtracked from the plan amid strong protests from the opposition parties and an indication that president´s office would not endorse it.
Sources said the president had expressed dissatisfaction with the prime minister and finance minister over the caretaker government´s preparations to include new plans and programs. He had also told the prime minister that it would be against established norms to introduce new plans and programs in the budget announced by a government that has announced fresh polls.
President invites leaders of four major parties Sunday
President Ram Baran Yadav has invited top leaders of UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) for a meeting on Sunday to resolve the ongoing political impasse including over the new budget.
According to the president´s press advisor, Rajendra Dahal, the president invited Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, NC President Sushil Koirala, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal and coordinator of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 am.
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