UDAYPUR, March 4: Prime Minsiter Baburam Bhattarai has said he is going to quit the government within the next three days.
While addressing a function here at a college here Monday, the prime minister also claimed that the new Constituent Assembly (CA) elections will be held by mid-June at any cost.[break]
He said forming election government under the sitting chief justice in the next three days has become a must for holding elections by mid-June.
The prime minister also explained that leaders from major political parties decided to form CJ-led government as they couldn´t find a consensus prime ministerial candidate from among the political leaders despite their months-long efforts.
Former lawmaker and convicted murderer Balkrishna Dhungel accompanied the prime minister while arriving in the district in a Nepal Army helicopter.
The Supreme Court sentenced Dhungel with life imprisonment with property attachment for murdering a local during the Maoist insurgency but he roams the country free. Opposition parties have been demanding his arrest and implementation of the apex court´s verdict on the matter.
However, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Badri Neupane ruled out any possibility of forming new government within a couple of days as a case against forming CJ-led government is sub judice in the Supreme Court and the court is scheduled to conduct hearing on the same case Thursday.
He described the claims to form new government even prior to court verdict as a silly remarks by top leaders of major political parties.
"New government can´t be formed prior to the Supreme Court´s verdict," Minister Neupane told reporters in Sarlahi, his home district. "Also, various other issues including resolution of disputes on the criteria of citizenship and voters´ namelist and amendment to constitutional provisions are essential before government formation."
Neupane, who is also the chairman of Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party, also rubbished the claims to conduct elections by mid-June. "Time is not sufficient for holding elections by mid-June even if preparations are done day and night," he explained.
He criticized the president for consulting only the leaders of the four major political parties.
Three members of Chand-led party quit party membership