UML brass advise PM to face no-trust move, then bow out

Published On: July 20, 2016 03:00 AM NPT By: Nabin Khatiwada


Members see no need for constitution amendment to elect new PM
KATHMANDU, July 20: Most Standing Committee members of the ruling CPN-UML have suggested to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli not to prolong his stay in power simply on the excuse of lack of clarity in some constitutional provisions.

They, however, also suggested to the prime minister to face the no-confidence motion instead of resigning his post prior to that.

The UML leaders at the Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday were of the view that the prime minister should mave way for the formation of a new government after facing the no-confidence motion in the House.

According to them, most of the members airing their views advised the prime minister not to give the impression to the general public that he is clinging on to power even after losing a majority in Parliament.

Some of the leaders, including party Deputy General Secretary Ghanashyam Bhusal, also suggested to the prime minister not to take any initiative to amend the Constitution just because there are ambiguities in some of its provisions.

“Some elements may want to push the country onto yet another path of crisis by engaging Parliament and the political parties in a series of one amendment after another,” Bhusal quoted himself as having told the meeting. He was talking to Republica later. “We must avoid such a move because that will only render the constitution a failure.”

This suggestion comes a few days after a group of lawyers advised the prime minister that amendment of one of the provisions related to the election of a new prime minister can be one of the options for ending the ongoing dispute over  new government formation.

However, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Bhim Bahadur Rawal, who is also the party's vice-chairman, strongly maintained that the related provisions of the new Constitution do not allow Parliament to form a new government without an amendment.

Most of the other leaders were against this view.

According to another member Mukunda Neupane, only a few leaders were for joining a consensus government. But most of them didn't buy that line of argument.

“Some claimed that there is no provision for forming a new government while some others argued that the party should join a new consensus government. Both these arguments are illogical in the present context,” said Neupane.

Following the discussions, the meeting took a unanimous decision that the party should stand united to face the no-confidence motion registered at the parliament secretariat.

Party Secretary Pradeep Gyawali informed that the meeting instructed UML lawmakers to robustly counter the allegations regarding government performance.

“It is decided that UML lawmakers should clearly elucidate the achievements made by the government amidst  the challenging circumstances,”Gyawali told Republica. “They are also asked to make abundantly clear the possible consequences for implementing the new Constitution from a change in government at this critical juncture.”


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