UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on Saturday that major parties had reached a gentlemen’s agreement to form a government under the leadership of CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli during the signing of 16-point agreement on June 8—a deal which eventually became the basis for promulgation of the new constitution.

Dahal’s revelation comes a day after the process to elect new prime minister got formally under way.

Speaking at a party programme on Saturday, Dahal said parties need to adhere to the agreement and attempt to form a consensus government for the effective implementation of the new constitution. However, he also indicated his party’s willingess to accept an NC-led government. “I will play vital role for the formation of national unity government,” he said. “Even Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has often said that next prime minister is Oli ji.”

The Maoist party is of the view that the current coalition partners should make up their mind first. Dahal said Prime Minister Sushil

Koirala himself is trying to continue as prime minister. The party has already made it clear that it is ready to join both consensus and majority government.

A week after senior leader Baburam Bhattarai left the party, Dahal said he will continue to lead the party for the next couple of years and work to revive the party as number one political force of the country.

One of the key reasons why Bhattarai left the party was Dahal’s refusal to hand over party leadership.

The Maoist chairman also said that he will visit rural areas in order to revitalise party organisations. The UCPN (Maoist) which emerged as the largest party in first Constituent Assembly (CA) election in 2008 suffered a major split in 2012 after party’s senior leader Mohan Baidya formed a separate party.

Another serious blow is Bhattarai’s decision to quit the party last week. However, the fact that leaders close to Bhattarai have not left the party has given some relief to Dahal.

“I still have zeal and energy to visit remote areas and strengthen party organisations,” said Dahal, who took the party helm when he was 36. “I have turned 62 but I can still visit the rural areas for party organisations,” he said, urging party cadres to work for revamping the party.

He also defended the promulgation of new constitution arguing that it institutionalised some achievements of the “people’s war”. He said parties successfully drafted a new constitution despite foreign meddling. “One of the major agenda of people’s war was drafting a new constitution through CA which has been fulfilled,” he said.