National
No plans to topple govt: CPN-UML
A day after announcing a broader electoral alliance with the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Naya Shakti Party-Nepal and a plan of unifying leftist forces post elections, the main opposition CPN-UML has said that it would not initiate the process to topple the government.Sanjeev Giri
A day after announcing a broader electoral alliance with the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Naya Shakti Party-Nepal and a plan of unifying leftist forces post elections, the main opposition CPN-UML has said that it would not initiate the process to topple the government.
Given the Maoist Centre is a key stakeholder of the incumbent government led by the Nepali Congress (NC), speculations are rife among the political sphere that the leftist forces are on work to form a new government or change in the dynamics of the ruling coalition partners.
Even a section of NC leaders are of the view that the Maoist Centre should withdraw its support from the government, saying that its act of forging an alliance with the main opposition “unethical”.
The UML leaders, however, maintain that the current government led by the NC and the Maoist Centre is mandated to hold provincial and federal elections scheduled for November 26 and December 7. As such the party is against changing the government before the elections, they say.
While the NC President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba conducted consultations with several key stakeholders, including political parties and legal experts, on Wednesday for charting future course, the UML has urged the government to keep its focus on the upcoming polls.
“The government should not divert its attention from the upcoming polls,” UML Vice Chairman Bhim Bahadur Rawal said, addressing a programme in the Capital. He clarified that the act of unifying leftists force had been initiated with a motive to end the tendency of changing government at short intervals and to maintain a political stability.
Rawal, however, warned that the party would strongly retaliate if the government tried to indulge in activities that affect the upcoming polls.
According to senior UML leader Subash Chandra Nembang, the UML does not see any possibility of change in the power-sharing dynamics with the election code of conduct already being implemented.
“The Election Commission has termed the recent government decision of adding state ministers a violation of the election code of conduct and asked it to correct the decision. So, there cannot be formation of a new government or reshuffle of ruling coalition,” Nembang said, urging the government to concentrate all its attention on holding timely elections.
He added that the UML had started preparations for the polls. “We aspire to form a majority government and take charge of the government for five years by obtaining a clear mandate from the people,” Nembang said.
During the announcement of leftist alliance on Tuesday, Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had renewed his assurance that the current coalition would continue till the elections and that the current bid was a part of the long-term strategy of bringing left forces together.