KATHMANDU, April 26: Maoist members in the cabinet on Sunday softened their voice on the issue of taking action against the army chief. This comes after a two-hour-long meeting of the Maoist ministers at the Prime Minister´s Office and consultation with Indian ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood. [break]
They, however, expressed commitment to take action against army chief General Rookmangud Katawal. “There is no question of backtracking at this point but what we have agreed to take the action only after due consultation with other parties,” said minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma.
The ministers came out of the meeting pleading for all-party consensus, signalling a major change in their stance on the issue so far. “This issue will be settled only through consensus,” said Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai who had been expressing strong voice for immediate dismissal of Katawal. “We had forged political consensus on many issues in the past and we believe we can do it this time too,” he said.
Bhattarai had, on Saturday, said the decision of a particular party like CPN-UML would not affect the Maoist decision to sack Katawal.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had called the meeting of Maoist ministers immediately after he met with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav.
During his meeting with the President, the Prime Minister reiterated his stance on the action initiated by the government against Katawal and sought President Dr Ram Baran Yadav´s support for his bid to sack the army chief, according to a source close to the Prime Minister.
In the half-an-hour meeting with the President, Dahal told the President that the circumstances that developed after the government sought clarification from Katawal had added more valid reasons to dismiss him from office. The Prime Minister was referring to the rumors about the army´s plan to stage a coup.
The President, however, strongly advised the Prime Minister not to violate the letters and spirit of the governing laws and of the interim constitution. "The President has asked the Prime Minister to take a decision on the issue only after ensuring all-party consensus and to explore avenues whereby all the sides will feel like they have won," said Rajendra Dahal, the President´s press adviser.
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