At a three-party meeting held at the call of Prime Minister Madhav Nepal at the latter´s office in Singha Durbar Wednesday afternoon, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal proposed that the parties head the government in turns by dividing equally the time left for the expiry of the term of Constituent Assembly (CA). The extended term of the CA is expiring on May 28, 2011. [break]
“Let us lead the government in turns,” a leader quoted Chairman Khanal as saying. Khanal said he made the proposal in bid to forge consensus among the three major parties on government leadership. “If we fail to forge consensus, we cannot accomplish the tasks of concluding the peace process and promulgating the new constitution,” he said. None of the parties have objected to the proposal.
PM Nepal had called the meeting in a bid to forge consensus to bring full budget and make appointments in various constitutional bodies.
Finance Minister Surendra Pandey, who was also present in the meeting, warned the leaders of dire consequences should the government fail to bring in budget by mid-November.
Meanwhile, Khanal reiterated that NC must withdraw prime ministerial candidacy of Ram Chandra Poudel.
NC leader Poudel instead asked the Maoists and UML to cast votes in his favor to end the deadlock. “You can relieve me in a month,” a leader quoted Poudel as saying. The next round of prime ministerial voting is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday).
Poudel made such remarks after Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal argued that caretaker government does not have the right to bring in full budget and make appointments in constitutional bodies. Dahal argued that ending political deadlock is more urgent than bringing new budget. He said that Maoists would have no objection if the NC and the UML together formed a majority government should they fail to forge consensus. “We are ready to stay in the opposition,” he said.
The leaders of three parties have agreed to hold further talks in next few days to end the deadlock.
End the ongoing process to elect PM: Maoists
Maoist top office bearers´ meeting on Wednesday concluded that only a new government can table the annual budget and can make appointments in the constitutional bodies.
“The ongoing process to elect a new prime minister has to end to begin a new process. This is the only solution to the current political crisis,” said Maoist leader Dev Gurung.
He also reiterated that the ongoing election can be brought to an end either through an amendment to the interim constitution, parliamentary regulations or through the prerogatives of the Speaker.
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