The Maoist party has been continuously obstructing parliamentary proceedings since May 4, protesting what they call the extra-constitutional move by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav to reinstate Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal in office, despite the then Maoist-led government´s decision to sack him. [break]
The continued obstruction of the House has hindered prorogation of the ongoing Winter Session, which has been going on for the last three months, and the beginning of the budget session, thereby preventing the government from presenting its policy and program and the budget for the new fiscal year that begins mid-July.
The Maoists say they will continue the House obstruction unless the President´s “extra constitutional” move is rectified, but will allow the government to bring a vote on account* bill, instead of a budget, for next fiscal year.
“We will briefly refrain from House obstruction and let the government bring the vote on account* bill, but won´t allow the President to speak in the House and present the government´s program and policies until his unconstitutional move is rectified,” said senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai.
The Maoist party has demanded that Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal in his speech to parliament make a commitment to meeting the Maoist demand within a certain period of time and that parliament amend the interim constitution to clarify the roles of prime minister and president, before the resumption of parliamentary proceedings.
Both the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have flatly rejected the Maoist demands. “It is a legitimate government elected through parliament, so it is morally wrong to prevent it from presenting the budget to parliament,” said the prime minister´s political advisor, Raghuji Pant. He said the government will present a budget to parliament, not a vote on account* bill.
Pant challenged the Maoists to bring a vote of no confidence in parliament instead if they consider the present government unconstitutional.
The Nepali Congress too has squarely rejected the Maoist proposal. "Why should a legitimately elected government have to bring a vote on account* bill in parliament instead of the budget?” asked Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel. He argued that the President´s move was absolutely constitutional as the Maoist-led government did not recommend to him the sacking of the army chief, but made the move on its own. “The constitution is clear on the jurisdiction of the President and the prime minister,” said Paudel, “We cannot go on amending the constitution, leaving other pressing issues aside.
A meeting between the UCPN (Maoist) and the UML was scheduled for Friday evening, but was postponed at the eleventh hour.
Maoists court fringe parties
The UCPN (Maoist) have held a three-hour meeting at its parliamentary party office at Singha Durbar with a dozen fringe political parties represented in the Constituent Assembly. At the meeting which also saw the participation of Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior party leaders Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidya, the Maoists asked the fringe parties to join a national unity government to take the peace process to its logical end and write a new constitution on time.
“The Maoists asked us to join a national unity government. But we said it will be morally and politically wrong to think of a new government as the current government is just a month old,” said Rastriya Prajatantra Pary Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa.
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* (Corrected)
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