The meeting was held at Dahal’s residence at Naya Bazaar after vice-presidents Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Dr Baburam Bhattarai told media that the party could consider ‘chairman’s alternative for the PM’ if PM Madhav Kumar Nepal resigns.[break]
“There are no other decision than for Dahal,” CP Gajurel said after Friday’s meeting. “Some newspapers misinterpreted.”
Shrestha on Thursday had told media that although the party had decided that Dahal would lead the government, they would be flexible for the national consensus with other parties. ‘Alternative [to Dahal] can be considered,” he had said.
Dr Bhattarai gave similar statement with an interview with Radio Kantipur Friday morning.
Last year after resigning from the post of PM, Dahal had reportedly told the Maoist central committee meeting that he would not lead the government and indicated that Dr Bhattarai should lead the government if formed under Maoist leadership.
However, after there were reports that India preferred Dr Bhattarai and the national unity government seemed possible, the central committee decided that Dahal would lead the government.
During the ´Decisive Debate on National Unity´ program on Thursday where top leaders of Maoist, CPN-UML and Nepali Congress participated, CPN-UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal had indirectly indicated that they could agree for the national government if Maoists came up with an alternative. "If we consider this government a failure, then we should also agree that last government [led by Dahal] also a failure," Khanal had said adding that new government should be led by someone else.
Meanwhile, Shrestha on Friday claimed that the May 1 demonstration would be extraordinary and that even if PM Nepal resigns, the demonstrations would not stop.
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