UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal committed to support the NC in electing its leader as next prime minister during the meeting between the two parties at UML head office in Balkhu on Saturday.[break]
"Our chairman [Khanal] proposed Congress leaders to take the lead in forming the new government, making it clear that our party is ready to support the Congress candidate," a UML leader present at the bilateral meeting told Republica. "Congress leaders said they would take a decision about the party´s candidate after Sher Bahadur Deuba arrives in the capital."
Former Prime Minister Deuba, who is visiting far-western districts for couple of days, runs a faction parallel to the establishment and he is also one of the contenders for prime ministerial race within the party.
Leaders from both the sides committed to stand united for the formation of a new government and also vowed to leave no stone unturned to find a consensus prime minister within the deadline given by the president.
UML leaders had proposed NC leadership in the past as well and they reiterated their commitment in the changed context as well.
UML leader and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had proposed to form election government under NC leadership at inter-party negotiations in September. The proposal was floated at the meeting participated by UCPN (Maoist), NC, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) on September 21.
Lately, the NC and UML backed by over a dozen opposition parties have led anti-government protests and they were demanding the president to make a call for formation of consensus government.
In a bid to keep the alliance of opposition parties intact, the NC and UML have called the 15-party meeting for Sunday.
Also, both the NC and UML have scheduled meetings of their powerful committees to take official decisions on the crucial matter. While NC is likely to call its central working committee meeting for Monday, a standing committee meeting of UML on Saturday scheduled its politburo meeting for Tuesday.
According to NC Spokesman Dilendra Prasad Badu, the party will convene its CWC meeting for Monday if Deuba arrives in Kathmandu by Sunday. "Otherwise, it may be delayed for a day or two," he said.
The two-party meeting also welcomed the president´s move and concluded that the development "will inspire the political parties to form new consensus government".
"We call on UCPN (Maoist), Madhes-based parties and other ruling as well as other political parties to take the president´s move as a positive step and be ready for a political consensus," read a joint statement issued by NC President Sushil Koirala and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal.
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