A group of lawmakers close to party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal demanded that the party be ready even to quit the government if need be for the sake of building a national consensus to ensure constitution-making on time and expediting the peace process. Party Chairman Khanal and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, among other senior leaders, were present at the parliamentary party meeting.
Saying that writing the new constitution was not possible without maintaining harmonious relations with the largest party UCPN (Maoist), the lawmakers suggested the government not seek any confrontation with the Maoist party.
"We suggested that our party should not stand as a hurdle to constitution writing and the peace process. It should be ready to make sacrifices for the good of the country," a lawmaker quoted Rabindra Adhikari as saying at the meeting.
Disagreeing with this idea, other lawmakers hit back at those suggesting the prime minister pave the way for a national unity government by stepping down if necessary. They argued that there was no need to quit the government without first ascertaining that the Maoists would be able to lead a national unity government.
Party Chairman Khanal has also been saying publicly that the UML is for a national unity government so as to expedite the constitution-writing process. But the lawmakers at the parliamentary party meeting recalled the party´s decision at the time to head a majority government.
"It was the party leadership that decided not to stick to the idea of forming a national unity government but to head a majority coalition. Therefore there is no point raising the issue of a national unity government now," Ram Nath Dhakal said at the meeting.
Some lawmakers raised counter-questions. They asked if anyone could take it for granted that the Maoists would be able to create a national consensus immediately after Nepal´s resignation.
Some UML leaders including KP Sharma Oli were at one time for forming a national unity government with the inclusion of the then main opposition Nepali Congress in the Maoist-led government. Party Chairman Khanal and other leaders who joined the Maoist-led government did not heed other leaders´ demands for a national unity government then.
Replying to the lawmakers, Prime Minister Nepal said he was not for seeking any confrontion with the Maoists but for a consensual environment with the latter. "Maoist leaders including Prachanda [Pushpa Kamal Dahal] told me yesterday [Wednesday] that their priority is not the government. He told me they are also for resolving the issue through agreement," the prime minister confided to lawmakers at the meeting about his conversation. "But I also get confused when I hear different versions from the Maoist leaders at different times and forums. Still, our efforts till the last minute will be to reach an agreement with the Maoists."
Some lawmakers close to the party establishment sought clarifications if the government was in the mood to go for confrontation with the Maoists. Criticizing "provocative" remarks by some ministers, they particularly objected to statements by Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari on the peace process and army integration.
The meeting also urged the government not to adopt any means other than parliamentary proceedings for passing the budget.
Some lawmakers criticized the party leadership for failing to come up with the party´s concepts on several crucial issues with a view to inclusion in the new constitution. They especially criticized the leadership for failing to come up with its concepts on state restructuring and the system of governance.
UML committees to hold parallel functions
The UML party has failed to settle the intra-party feud in Kathmandu Valley. Defying the party standing committee´s instructions, the UML Kathmandu District Committee (KDC) has decided to organize a tea party on the occasion of the New Year [Newa Sambat 1130] on Saturday. The standing committee had instructed its Valley Coordination Committee to organize the function.
The coordination committee, which is close to the party establishment, has claimed that it is the only body authorized to organize the function. The establishment had earlier announced the dissolution of the KDC.
The coordination committee is organizing the tea party at Basantapur, Kathmandu on Friday while the KDC is hosting a similar function on Saturday at the same place. The former has invited Chairman Khanal as chief guest and Prime Minister Nepal as special guest while the KDC has invited Nepal as chief guest and another senior party leader, KP Sharma Oli, as special guest.
"The coordination committee is the authorized body for holding the function," Rajendra Shrestha, coordinator of the coordination committee said. "We have decided to host the program as originally scheduled since the party leadership set a date without consulting us," Rameshwar Phuyal, who heads the KDC, told myrepublica.com.
thira@myrepublica.com
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