Summon House at earliest; NC to govt

KATHMANDU, Nov 25: Nepali Congress (NC) has asked the government to summon House session, which was prorogued last Friday due to Maoist obstruction in parliament, before the 17th round of prime ministerial election slated for December 2.



NC President Sushil Koirala and the party´s parliamentary party leader and prime ministerial candidate Ram Chandra Paudel asked the government to immediately write to the president´s office to summon House session for electing a new government. [break]



Talking to media persons at a function organized by Nepal Muslim Association in the capital, Koirala asked the government to summon parliament session at the earliest. "Cabinet should immediately write to the president´s office to summon new House session," he said, adding, "Parliament should function smoothly."



Koirala said that the term of the caretaker government should not be prolonged. "House session should be called at the earliest possible date," he further said.



While calling for a broader unity among democratic forces in the country, the NC parliamentary party leader and prime ministerial candidate Paudel argued that UML should vote for NC to allow formation of government. "Nepali Congress has shown its generosity to UML on many occasions. We also supported the [UML-led] government to bring a new budget," he said. "The UML should help us form a new government."



Addressing the function, Paudel urged Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who arrived in Kathmandu Monday after taking part in Tiger summit in Russia, to immediately write to the president´s office to call a new House session. "The prime minister should immediately call House so that the prime ministerial election could be held on December 16," he further said.



Paudel argued that there is a need for a full-fledged government also to restore peace and democracy in the country. "We are not in a position now to save the country if there is a big disaster," he said. "We cannot afford to keep the country without prime minister for long."



Paudel alleged that the Maoists were trying to dismantle the democratic system. "The Maoists are now talking about forging alliance with liberal feudals," he said, referring to the call by RPP-N Chairman Kamal Thapa to the Maoists to forge an alliance. "These all developments are attempts at derailing the peace process."



Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nepal has hinted that new House session will be called only after forging consensus among political parties.



Upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport on Thursday from Russia after participating in the Tiger Summit, Prime Minister Nepal said, "Let the Maoists return from Palungtar first," he said. "Only then can we think about summoning House session."



UML must rethink its stance on PM election: Oli



CPN-UML standing committee member K P Sharma Oli has said that the party should rethink its stance regarding the prime ministerial election so as to form a new government at the earliest.



Speaking at Reporters´ Club in the capital, Oli said his party´s central committee meeting scheduled for December 14 will change its stance regarding prime ministerial election. The UML has been staying neutral in the prime ministerial voting.



Oli said that since the political parties failed to elect a new prime minister through consensus it is time to elect a prime minister through majority votes in parliament.

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