At a meeting of the parliamentary Business Advisory Committee (BAC) on Sunday, the Maoists stated that Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has not yet consulted them over the budget deadlock and has invited further political confrontations by planning to go his own way, while the NC leaders complained that the prime minister has not held serious talks with their party on the issue. [break]
“The responsibility of endorsing the budget falls on the government´s shoulders. Though we have stated that the caretaker government doesn´t have the right to table the budget, the government should consult us to resolve the problem. But the government has not even bothered to inform us about its official stance,” said Maoist chief whip Posta Bahadur Bogati.
“Rather the government ministers are making objectionable statements saying they will table the budget at any cost,” he added.
The Maoist chief whip said his party wants an amendment to the interim constitution or the existing parliamentary regulations to end the ongoing process to elect a new prime minister and open the ways for the formation of a new government which can present the annual budget in parliament.
Sources say the Maoist party will ultimately will agree to the tabling of the budget if the government makes some compromises. “Being a caretaker government, it should not present any policy and programs and introduce new and large-scale programs. If the government agrees, the Maoists will not oppose the tabling of the budget,” said sources close to Speaker Subas Nembang.
At the BAC meeting on Sunday, the NC also expressed concern over the “government´s reluctance to consult other parties over the budget”.
“The government has not discussed the budget issue with us. It does not seem ready to hold discussions with other parties,” a leader quoted NC chief whip Laxman Ghimire as saying.
Talking to mediapersons, Ghimire said the government should garner the support of other parties if it wants to introduce new programs. “It is the responsibility of the government and the main opposition to decide how to go about it,” he said.
Finance Ministry officials have warned that the country will face a serious financial crisis if the budget is not endorsed by mid-November.
Ordinance if budget obstructed: Lawyers to PM
PM Nepal has expedited consultations with political parties and legal experts over the budget impasse.
Nepal held a meeting with Attorney General Dr Bharat Bahadur Karki, Law Secretaries Madhav Prasad Poudel and Dr Trilochan Upreti and lawyers Hari Krishna Karki and Tikaram Bhattarai on Sunday for their legal advice on the issue.
Nepal told the experts that the government would table the budget despite Maoist public posture to obstruct the government move, according to lawyer Tika Ram Bhattarai who was present at the meeting.
Bhattarai said they advised the prime minister to face the parliament by presenting the budget in the first instance and introduce an ordinance if the opposition parties obstructed the parliamentary proceedings.
The prime minister also met Chairman of Nepal Peasants´ and Workers´ Party Narayan Man Bijukchhe Sunday evening to discuss the current political issues including the budget deadlock.
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