The chiefs of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML had signed a three-point agreement at midnight three days ago on extending the term of the Constituent Assembly (CA), forging consensus on a national unity government and dissolution of the incumbent government. [break]
Maoist party Secretary CP Gajurel said Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal must step down within next two days as per the agreement. "Although no timeframe has been explicitly stated in the written understanding, there was a gentleman´s agreement that the prime minister would resign within five days from Friday," Gajurel said in parliament.
He said the Maoists will not tolerate this government for any longer than two days. Gajurel claimed that any attempt to prolong the present coalition would lead the political situation toward the end of the peace process and the break up of past agreements.
"If this understanding is violated, we can´t reach any gentleman´s agreement in future," he said.
- Resignation can´t be dealt in isolation: NC
- UML committed to written, unwritten understandings: Khanal
NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Poudel said Maoist leaders were misinterpreting the pact as per their own convenience. "The issue of the prime minister´s resignation can´t be dealt with in isolation. All the three points should be implemented in a package," he asserted.
He was of the view that the situation was getting complicated as the Maoists have wanted to implement only selective parts of the agenda as per their interests ever since the beginning. "Maoist leaders have shown a similar tendency this time round as well by insisting only on one of the three issues-- the prime minister´s resignation," he said.
Poudel described the midnight agreement as a ´mini-package´ of the six-point agenda that the three parties had earlier identified as the major contentious issues to be resolved.
UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal reaffirmed the party´s commitment to the pact. "We are committed to implementing both the written as well as unwritten understandings," he said.
Urging the leaders not to indulge in mud-slinging at each other, Khanal said they should be ready for a compromise deal and seek pragmatic solutions.
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