KATHMANDU, March 11: The UCPN (Maoist)-led 30-party opposition alliance has decided to wait until March 15 for results in consensus talks.
A meeting of the alliance, held at Singha Durbar on Tuesday, demanded serious initiatives from the ruling side for result-oriented dialogue within the given deadline. Though the alliance had earlier given a March-10 deadline for the consensus talk, the parties have failed to hold any serious talks so far.
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The alliance has also decided to launch its second-phase protest program starting from March 15, if dialogue fails to yield any result by then.
“We decided to wait for an additional few days as urged by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and President Dr Rambaran Yadav, and as UML Chairman KP Oli is unwell,” said Tamsaling Nepal Party chief Parshuram Tamang.
However, the opposition alliance was divided over whether or not to wait any longer for consensus, said party leaders. “We are worried about unwillingness among the ruling parties for talks. We demand meaningful steps from their side and will make efforts from our side as well,” alliance spokesperson Prem Bahadur Singh told reporters after the meeting.
The opposition alliance is demanding a consensus-based constitution-making process, and is opposed to the majoritarian process started in the Constituent Assembly (CA) by the ruling parties on January 25.
The meetings of the CA have become uncertain after the last meeting on Feb 12. Nineteen political parties in the opposition camp including the UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based and fringe parties have been boycotting the CA, demanding that the majoritarian process be corrected.
Meanwhile, a secretariat formed by the opposition alliance to prepare for the second round of protests also submitted its proposal at the meeting on Tuesday. According to coordinator of the secretariat Barsha Man Pun, the proposed protest program includes publically boycotting ‘anti consensus’ forces, obstructing the prime minister and other ministers from participating in any public function, and showing them black flags.
The alliance has been mulling obstruction of the day-to-day activities of government offices with picketings and sit-ins, among other things. “However, we are earnest about not obstructing the SLC exams,” said Singh.
UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Dahal, who also leads the alliance, had informed the meeting that it would be better to wait for a few more days, as CPN-UML Chairman Oli is unwell.
Leaders of the alliance claim that though they are ready for talks, the ruling side is not showing any sincerity so far.
