Underscoring the urgency of a political solution, the president called the next meeting with key leaders for Monday evening.[break]
“The president urged us to find a solution within the next two days and hold the next meeting on Monday,” ruling UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told media persons while emerging from the president’s office at Sheetal Niwas late on Saturday evening.
The president resumed consultations just two days after Dahal in his party’s general convention announced that his party is for forming an election government under the leadership of sitting chief justice. Dahal said that he floated the idea as one of the various other options but not the only alternative.
Dahal during discussions with the president had made it clear that he didn´t float any proposal as such during the general convention. "It was just announced during the general convention as one of the possible options to end the deadlock," Paudel quoted Dahal as saying. Paudel also claimed that it would be illogical to seek prime ministerial candidate from outside the political parties.
CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli said he expected to start talks in the changed context with new vigor as the Maoist leaders during the discussions had said to have returned to the capital with new approach following the conclusion of their general convention.
UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Dahal, NC President Sushil Koirala and Paudel, CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and Oli, Chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum - Democratic Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar and Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur, among other leaders, were present during the meeting with the president.
NC wants PM to step down first
Earlier, a meeting of the NC office bearers and a few central working committee members held at the residence of the party President Sushil Koirala in Maharajgunj Saturday afternoon also concluded that the Maoists were not willing go for early election. “The main question is whether Baburam Bhattarai is ready to step down immediately,” said CWC member Dr Shekhar Koirala.
Koirala had called the meeting to decide the party´s position to be taken at the four-party meeting called by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav later in the evening. The NC meeting dwelled on the current political situation, including the latest Maoist proposal to form a new government under the sitting chief justice.
According to Koirala, NC is ready to hold discussions on any alternative floated by the Maoists only after Bhattarai steps down. “Our bottom line is formation of a new government without any further delay and holding fresh election by May end,” he said. “The Maoists are not willing to go for election. They are only hoodwinking the international community by floating one proposal after another.”
Participants of the meeting said NC will remain flexible over leadership of the new government provided the current government steps down immediately. “We will be flexible over the government leadership if there is a guarantee of fresh election by May end,” said a leader.
According to CWC member Mahesh Acharya, the meeting discussed NC´s role in ensuring free and fair election at the earliest. “The need of the hour is early and credible election. NC has already expressed its readiness to assume leadership for that,” he said.
Acharya said that it was important to see whether any such proposal is politically and constitutionally justifiable.
NC President Koirala had also held a separate meeting with CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal before the meeting with the president.
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