Lower rung NC politicians alleged senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and party vice president Ram Chandra Paudel were pushing for CA revival in their bid to become the prime minister of the new government.[break]
It followed recent meeting between NC president Sushil Koirala and Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal during which Dahal offered NC to lead the new government in return for support to revive CA.
NC CWC member Shekhar Koirala expressed dissatisfaction over the activities of the party´s two senior politicians. "We decided that election was the only option to resolve the deadlock after series of negotiations with other parties failed to yield consensus on the contentious issues of new statute," said Koirala.
Speaking to Republica from Pokhara, Koirala said it was sad to see some leaders openly lobbying for the CA revival in the hope that they can become the next prime minister. "Such a move by senior leaders has left entire rank and files in the party disappointed.”
Paudel had called a gathering of former NC CA members to build opinion for the CA revival within the party on Monday. Though Deuba, who has consistently advocated for the CA revival could not make it to the gathering as he was outside Kathmandu Valley, he gave his full backing to the gathering attended by 46 of the 114 NC CA members.
While concluding that the party should go for a fresh election, NC had stood against extending the term of CA as per the Supreme Court verdict in May.
"We had then decided two things - we won´t accept extension of the term of CA against Supreme Court verdict and we won´t accept the type of constitution that Maoists want to promulgate," said another NC CWC member Gagan Thapa. "I am surprised. On what moral ground are our senior leaders talking about the CA revival now?"
Leaders, except those rooting for the CA revival, argue that there is no alternative but to go for a fresh election as none of the parties have changed their stance on the contentious issues that resulted in the dissolution of the CA. They also alleged that party´s senior leaders were advocating the issue while putting off the CWC meeting that is mostly likely make a formal decision for poll.
Thapa also argued that the two politicians were for the CA revival with the hopes of becoming the next prime minister.
"CA revival is not in the interest of the party and democracy, nor will it resolve the current political deadlock. But some leaders are trying to change the party´s stance to meet their vested interests.
However, NC´s youth wing Nepal Tarun Dal´s President Udaya SJB Rana argued that the intention of both Deuba and Paudel were not against fresh election. "I think the leaders have failed to make their stance clear. They are for reviving the CA to bring about necessary amendments in the interim constitution and other related laws so that fresh elections can be held," he said.
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