After only 16 members in the 53-member parliamentary board of the party put their views on Wednesday, the meeting was postponed till Friday. "Members are divided on whether or not to join the UML-led coalition," said Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav, secretary of the party´s parliamentary party. "Clear picture is yet to be seen on which line the party will take."
Of the 16 members speaking in Wednesday´s meeting, majority were from the faction led by party chairman Upendra Yadav and co-chair JP Gupta. "They argued that the party should not join the government and it should rather should support a coalition which is close in Madhes issues," said Bhim Raj Choudhari Rajbanshi. "But the members like me argued that participation in the government would make us easy to press for Madhesi issues."
Gupta was clearly in favor of Maoist-led coalition and suggested the lawmakers not to take a decision in haste but Gachchhadar stressed the need for immediately taking a decision so that the country would not be a victim of indecisiveness.
Gachhadar was in favor of deciding the issue through parliamentary board but JP wanted to take the final decision by the central committee. Those close to Gachhadar argued that the decision should be taken either by the parliamentary party or by both the forum´s parliamentary party as well as the central committee.
Most of the members suggested that the issue of joining the government should not cause split in the party, according to Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav. "If the participation creates rift, we should not participate in the government but support an alliance from outside," said Yadav quoting the members.
Briefing on the progress made so far toward forming a new governing coalition, Gupta cautioned the lawmakers against a possible division in the party.
Party´s central committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday. Split of opinion in MPRF led to postponement of a meeting of the United Democratic Madhesi Front. The Front´s 83 seats in the parliament play crucial role in government formation.
Signature collection
Several political parties including the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML, among other parties, have started collecting signatures of Constituent Assembly (CA) members to garner support to form a new government under UML´s leadership.
The CPN-UML central office had started receiving list of signatures from other political parties, according to UML leader Raghuji Pant.
Pant added that the signatures will be submitted to the parliament as per its procedures to form a new government.
Conditional support
Seven lawmakers of six small parties in the CA have agreed to support CPN-UML to lead the new government. But, they have put forth six conditions for that.
They have demanded that the CPN-UML ensure their representation in the new cabinet and in political appointments, formation of a national consensus government, development of CMP on consensus basis, and no decision on state restructuring by the cabinet.
The parties extending conditional support for UML RJP, Samajbadi Prajatantrik Janata Party, Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekta Party, Nepal Loktantrik Samajbadi Dal, Nepal Parivar Dal, and Nepaa Rastriya Party.
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