KATHMANDU, Dec 10: While concluding that there was no meaning to hold further talks with ruling UCPN (Maoist), opposition parties have decided to unveil a series of anti-government protest if there was no consensus by Wednesday.
A meeting of the task force of the opposition parties held on Sunday decided to call a meeting of 15 opposition parties on Wednesday-the day that marks the end of the latest deadline given by the president to form a national consensus government. The meeting will chalk out fresh protest programs.[break]
The Task Force meeting decided to suggest the party leadership to go for protest against the government arguing that the Maoist was putting condition one after another in an apparent bid to hinder consensus process. “There is no alternative to protests,” said a Task Force member from the UML Raghuji Panta. “We have asked the leadership to choose either talks or protests.”
The meeting concluded that the ruling parties were in favor of prolonging their stay in power and also deferring the polls for years. “The ruling parties are clearly in favor of deferring the fresh election. The meeting of 15 parties scheduled for Wednesday will take a decision on fresh protest programs if there was no consensus even by that day,” said NC Spokesperson Dilendra Badu.
The decision of the opposition parties to unveil fresh protest programs came two days after the opposition parties decided to withdraw all their protests citing engagement of top leaders in negotiation to form a new consensus government as called by President Ram Baran Yadav. Opposition parties are miffed at ruling Maoist as the party has been forwarding conditions one after another.
In a series of its changing stance, the Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday proposed prime ministerial candidate from outside NC and UML. This came a week after Dahal himself asked NC to name prime ministerial candidate for consensus government.
Meanwhile, CPN-UML Standing Committee meeting held on Sunday decided to devote all its efforts and strength to intensify protest against the current Bhattarai-led government if there was no protest even after Wednesday.
The meeting took a decision to this effect concluding there were slim chances of reaching consensus in view the ruling UCPN (Maoist) putting new conditions one after another. “Protest against the current government has become imperative,” said the party secretary Shankar Pokharel.
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