KATHMANDU, Feb 15: A standing committee meeting of CPN-UML on Thursday concluded that an election government can be formed under the leadership of the sitting chief justice (CJ).
“We at the standing committee meeting today (Thursday) concluded that we can go for the option of CJ-headed government for the holding election to the Constituent Assembly,” party secretary Bishnu Paudel told Republica.
The party´s top body called an emergency central committee (CC) meeting for Friday with a view to taking CC members´ consent on the issue.[break]
Also, Chairman Jhalanath Khanal emerging from the president´s office later, told media persons that Friday´s CC meeting will pave the way for forming the new government if it endorses the standing committee´s decision.
The UML top leaders took the decision two days after an overwhelming majority of the party´s central committee (CC) meeting rejected the proposal of forming an election government under the leadership of sitting chief justice. Prior to that, the CC meeting had decided to support the candidacy of Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala for the prime ministerial post.
The party´s top brass believe that CC members can be convinced once they are briefed about the developments in the last couple of days.
“We at the standing committee meeting today decided to float this proposal at the central committee to describe members the situation in detail,” the party´s vice-chairperson Bidya Bhandari told Republica.
Earlier, Chairman Khanal and another leader Madhav Kumar Nepal were flexible but other key leaders, including KP Sharma Oli and Ishwar Pokharel, were dead against the proposal to nominate the head of judiciary as the executive head.
But, the situation has changed a lot over the last couple of days and almost all the standing committee members have expressed readiness to go for the CJ-headed government.
“There are no serious differences in the standing committee over the proposal,” said Paudel. “We therefore decided to take the consent of CC members on the issue.”
Asked how CC members could be convinced on the proposal they had rejected two days ago, Paudel said the members will be convinced once the leaders brief them about the latest political situation and the urgency of holding election.
An overwhelming majority of the CC meeting on Tuesday had suggested to the party leadership to find a prime ministerial candidate from a political party and not to nominate apolitical leadership.
A UML leader privy to the development said even the leaders who were clearly against forming a non-partisan government are flexible over the idea of forming a CJ-headed government.
Now all eyes are on UML central committee meeting as the Nepali Congress (NC) leaders have announced to keep all options open while the Madhes-based parties have already said that they are ready for any alternative.
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