Miscellaneous
NC leaders ask PM to clear way for new govt
A majority of the Nepali Congress leaders on Tuesday urged Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign immediately to pave the way for the formation of a new government.Sarin Ghimire
A majority of the Nepali Congress leaders on Tuesday urged Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign immediately to pave the way for the formation of a new government.
Coming down heavily on Oli for “creating an unnecessary commotion by misinterpreting the constitutional provision”, several leaders speaking at the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting concluded that Article 298 of the constitution allowed them to form a new government.
NC leader Bal Krishna Khand said the meeting declared that since a no-confidence motion had already been registered in Parliament, the party remained united to pass the vote against the government and urged other parties to follow suit.
“Since Oli’s government is already a caretaker one, today’s meeting urged him to stop creating hassles by bringing up unnecessary hurdles. We are fully committed to supporting a government led by the Maoist leadership,” Khand told the Post.
Acknowledging the recent agreement with the CPN (Maoist Centre) to form a majority government under the leadership of Pushpa Kamal Dahal for the first nine months to hold the local polls and to subsequently conduct provincial and federal elections under the NC’s watch in the remaining nine months, leaders speaking at the meeting, however, cautioned the party leadership to create a conducive environment for the CPN-UML to participate in the constitution implementation process.
“In terms of implementing the constitution, we are
aware that all the major forces need to come together for national consensus. Only
then will we be able to move ahead. Thus, we do not want our relationship with the UML to sour,” Khand quoted leaders as saying.
Even if the NC, the Maoist Centre and the Madhesi forces come to a mid-point on the demands put forth by the Tarai-based parties and agree on amending the constitution, the UML’s participation in the process is a must since it holds a significant number of seats in Parliament.
Out of the 595 seats in Parliament, the NC has 207, the UML claims 183, the Maoist Centre holds 83 and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, which has seven Madhes-based parties under it, has 39 seats. Madhesi forces, among others, have reservations about the demarcation of states, citizenship issues and prospects of inclusive representation in the Upper House. NC leader Guru Raj Ghimire said several options, including forming a government team to hold discussions with the Madhesi forces or, if possible, bringing them on board the new government to facilitate dialogue, were discussed by a majority of the leaders. “Sher Bahadur Deubaji has also repeatedly stated that he would take
initiatives for dialogue
with the Madhesi forces,” Ghimire said.
During the meeting, former general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula is said to have apprised the Central Committee members of his meeting with PM Oli. On Monday night, inviting Sitaula for talks, PM Oli is said to have urged the NC to form a government under its leadership with the backing of the UML. In response, Sitaula told the prime minister that the party had already gone ahead with supporting a government under Dahal’s leadership.
Sources said that leaders Ram Chandra Poudel and Prakash Man Singh were also separately invited for talks by Oli. However, both were said to have kept mum at the meeting about their visits.