According to political leaders involved in bilateral and multilateral talks, chances of forming the national unity government immediately are slim due to integration and government leadership issues, and the CA term extension is likely to precede formation of a new government. [break]
Leaders of all the three political parties -- UCPN (Maoist), NC, CPN-UML-- have staked their claims to the post of prime minister.
"We have requested the Maoists not to stake their claim to government leadership if that would help pave the way for forming a new national government under some other leader," said a UML leader close to party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal.
According to him, the Maoist leaders have promised to come up with a clear picture by Saturday. The UML leaders are hopeful the Maoists will support Khanal to become the next prime minister.
After Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal´s statement indicating some chances of flexibility over the Maoist stance, both the NC and UML have started to lobby in favor of their respective party leaders.
"We will certainly stake our claim since there is a serious leadership dispute in the NC just like in the Maoist party," the UML leaders said.
Meanwhile, sources claimed that senior NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Poudel have also held several rounds of inter-party backdoor meetings to discuss their leading the government.
On the issue of Maoist combatants, the NC has been insisting on categorically fixing the numbers to be integrated into various security agencies before formation of the new government. "UML believes that this can be resolved by finding a middle path between the two lines," another UML leader said.
Maoist intra-party rift widens
Serious intra-party disputes have surfaced in the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) over the leadership of the next government.
Party leaders close to Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai have stated that the statement of party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to let the other political parties lead the next government is against the decision of the standing committee.
“We had decided to pick another party leader to lead the next government if other political parties don´t accept the chairman as the prime minister. So his statement is against the standing committee decision,” said a leader close to Dr Bhattarai.
According to sources, the leaders became unhappy with Dahal after the latter became ready to back UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, in lieu of another Maoist leader, to lead the next government. “The party´s decision meant proposing Bhattarai to lead the government as an alternative. But the chairman is playing a new game,” said the leader.
On Wednesday, while interacting with media and civil society representatives, Dahal had stated that his party was open about letting the other parties or leaders lead the national consensus government.
Maoists have stated that they will rather stay out of the government if their party is not to lead it. “We will not participate in the government under other parties´ leadership,” said Maoist standing committee member Top Bahadur Rayamajhi.
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