Issuing a statement in his capacity as UML´s Acting Chairman on Monday, Gautam described the president´s decision to reject the election-related ordinances as "quite a natural move". [break]"CPN-UML appeals all the concerned parties not to indulge themselves in a propaganda guided by their partisan interests with the intention to tarnish the image of the respected institution of first-elected president," read the statement.
Last week President Ram Baran Yadav rejected the government-proposed ordinances and returned them to the council of ministers. Since then, leaders from ruling coalitions including UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal have been fiercely critical of the president saying that the head of state overstepped his jurisdiction by rejecting the ordinances.
Gautam said the government´s move to submit the ordinances to the head of state was unconstitutional because the government proposed to amend the laws without first amending the related provisions of the interim constitution. According to him, the president rightly rejected the government´s unilateral move.
"The government´s move to submit the ordinances before president for endorsement in contravention with provisions of constitution even as the Election Commission had already said that fresh elections were not possible without first amending related-provisions of the constitution is against the supremacy of the constitution and rule of law," Gautam said in his statement.
He said the government and the ruling parties had panicked after the president rejected the ordinances.
Gautam is acting chief of the party as CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal is on a visit to Qatar.
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