Prez asks parties to form consensus govt in a week

KATHMANDU, July 1: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav on Thursday called the political parties in the Constituent Assembly (CA) to form a new government on the basis of political understanding by July 7.



The President sent a notice to this effect to the CA on Thursday in pursuance of Article 38 (1) of the Interim Constitution. [break]



If the parties fail to form government under the Article 38 (1) by next Wednesday, he will make yet another call to the parties to form a majority government, said Lalit Basnet, president´s personal assistant who is also an expert in constitutional affairs.



This means the new prime minister will be elected by parliament and the council of ministers will be formed upon his recommendations.



However, the Interim Constitution does not allow the president to specifically call the UCPN-M to form a new government despite the latter´s request. A meeting of the standing committee of the UCPN-M on Thursday had asked the president to call the party to form the new government.



Even in August 2009, the president had called the parties to form majority government only after the parties failed to form government on the basis of political understanding.



The CA, which also works as the parliament, had then elected Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Nepal. The council of ministers was constituted upon Dahal´s recommendation.

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