The ongoing Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held at party headquarters at Sanepa took the decision even as a group of CWC members raised a dissenting voice against the idea of the NC assuming government leadership. The meeting, however, failed to pick a prime ministerial candidate from the party. [break]
According to a press statement issued after the meeting, the NC decided to stake claim to the leadership of a new government, as the per call made by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav to play a pro-active role for helping to conclude the peace process and promulgate a new constitution on time.
The party decided to seek support from all parties in the Constituent Assembly while keeping intact the current coalition of the NC, CPN-UML and other parties.
According to NC General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi, the CWC meeting gave Acting President Sushil Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel responsibility for talking to other parties and garnering support for a NC-led government.
The NC failed to name a prime ministerial candidate despite mounting pressure from among CWC members to pick the candidate right away as just five days are left for filing nominations.
Sources said CWC members had asked the office bearers to arrive at consensus on a candidate from among senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ram Chandra Poudel and K B Gurung. The decision on the candidate was deferred as the office bearers failed to arrive at consensus even after a two-hour long meeting.
NC CWC member Laxman Ghimire, who is also chief whip, said a decision on prime ministerial candidate was deferred as they needed to read the minds of other political parties. “We will file nomination for the prime minister from our party on July 20.”
During the CWC meeting Wednesday, Ghimire urged the party leadership to take an immediate decision whether to stake a claim to government leadership and also name a prime ministerial candidate from the party as they were running out of time for negotiations with other parties.
Nineteen members including Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel and General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi spoke during Thursday´s CWC meeting.
CWC members Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Binaya Dhwaj Chand and Purna Bahadur Khadka, among others, had asked the party leadership to be clear whether the NC would accept Maoist leadership should the Maoists fulfill the conditions put forth by the NC.
Thursday´s meeting also endorsed a proposal aimed at consensus with the Maoists prepared by a committee formed under Vice-president Poudel. The proposal makes NC´s position clear on various issues related to the peace process and constitution drafting. The NC will publicize its proposal after incorporating suggestions from CWC members.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
Related story
Great Leadership: A Road Less Traveled
