KATHMANDU, May 5: Nepali Congress (NC) has proposed the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) for heading the next government.
The NC made the formal proposal during a meeting of 23 political parties held at Singha Durbar Tuesday afternoon. [break]
“The NC proposed that we should head the next government,” said UML senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, following the meeting.
Meanwhile, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has called on the political parties to come up with a new government by Saturday.
Nepal said his party will discuss the proposal internally before initiating consultations with all the other political parties.
The meeting, boycotted by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF), decided to initiate consultations with the Maoists and the MPRF on the formation of a national government.
“Participation of the Maoists and MPRF in the national government is necessary for taking the peace process to a logical end,” said NC vice chairman Ram Chandra Poudel.
He said the NC is not willing to head the next government. “We are open to supporting the leadership of any political party,” Poudel said, adding, “The participation of the Maoists in the next government is important to promote harmony among the political parties.”
He said the current political development has widened the gap among the major political parties. “Bridging the gap and building up political consensus and collaboration is much more important than forming the next government,” Poudel said, adding further, “We hope the Maoists will understand the gravity of the situation and participate in the next government.”
UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal said all political parties including the Maoists should come together for national unity.
“Parties should first prepare a concrete list of programs to take the peace process to a logical conclusion before forming the national government,” Khanal said.
MPRF mustering unity of Tarai-based parties
MPRF has intensified its consultations with other Tarai-based political parties to forge a common position as a condition for joining a national government.
MPRF leaders held a meeting with leaders of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Tuesday evening and the two parties are scheduled to hold a joint meeting with the Sadbhwana Party Wednesday afternoon.
“We are not in a race to form the government. We first want the clear opinion of the Nepali Congress and UML about major issues including the Inclusive Bill, past agreements with Madhes and other issues,” said JP Gupta, co-chairman of MPRF.
Gupta said his party will support the major political parties in forming a national government only after considering their views regarding Madhes and the issues raised by Madhesi parties in the past.
Defending MPRF´s deliberate absence from the all-party meeting at Singha Durbar, Gupta said, “We didn´t boycott the meeting. But we had already raised our issues with UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal. We will participate in political consultations only after we get a response from the major political parties regarding these issues.”
Nepal to head next govt?
With the all-party meeting on Tuesday agreeing in principle on the leadership of the UML for the next government, the UML is engaged in internal consultations to select a prime ministerial candidate.
Although the party has not formally chosen a candidate, party insiders say senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has the most potential to head the next government.
A UML leader said party chairman Jhala Nath Khanal is in a minority position while Nepal and his ally KP Oli claim strong majorities in both the central and standing committees of the party.
“Khanal´s position has further weakened due to the recent army row,” the UML leader said, adding, “Khanal, without consulting other party leaders, supported the Maoist bid to sack the army chief.”
The UML chairman´s effort to extend his support to the Maoists in sacking the army chief was defeated at the party standing committee meeting.
A majority of leaders in the party central and standing committees had stood in favor of senior leaders Nepal and Oli who strongly opposed the Maoist bid to sack the army chief.
The UML leader claims that the army row has also soured Khanal´s bonhomie with another leader, Bamdev Gautam, as the latter wrote a note of dissent against the party´s decision to quit the government in protest against the dismissal of the army chief.
“JN, as chairman of the party, has the major responsibility of looking after the party. So I don´t think JN will head the next government,” said UML general secretary Iswor Pokharel.
He, however, preferred not to say who will head the next government under UML leadership.
“There are many competent leaders in the UML. But the current issue is not one of forming the government but of finding a way to include the Maoists in the next government,” he said.
He said the Maoists also can head the next government if they correct their mistakes. “Although they seem to have lost the moral authority to claim leadership of the next government, they can forward their proposal by correcting their mistakes,” he said.
ghanashyam@myrepublica.com
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