The ruling CPN-UML has floated an informal proposal to rotate the government leadership among three major parties until all the three elections are held within the next one-and-a-half years.

Interlocutors are holding informal negotiations with the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre) on the proposal wherein the first

and the third largest parties would respectively hold provincial and central elections after the UML conducts

the local elections under its leadership.

UML leaders said that such a deal should be accompanied by a common political roadmap to tackle the crisis facing the nation.

The proposal comes at a time when the opposition NC and the coalition partner Maoists are exploring the possibility of a government change. According to the proposal, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli would remain in power until the completion of the local election, while the Maoist Centre and the NC would hold the polls for state assemblies and the federal legislature, respectively.

“There are no choices in front of the major parties since they need each other to cope with the present crisis. The sooner the NC and the Maoists agrees on it [the plan], the better for the country and the people,” said UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai.

He said that the UML would choose to become an opposition party if the first and the third largest parties went on to form a majority government ignoring the proposal.

UML leaders claim that replacing the incumbent government with another majority government would further widen the rift among the parties, making it even more difficult to implement the constitution and complete post-earthquake reconstruction works.

“The parties are again creating a situation to hand over the reins of the government to non-political actors to hold the election,” Pradeep Gyawali, a UML leader close to PM Oli, told reporters at an interaction in the Capital on Monday.

UML leaders said that the NC leadership “appears unwilling to readily accept the proposal”. On the other hand, the Maoist Centre, a key ally in the ruling alliance, appeared positive on the offer. Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who was initially considering withdrawing support to the government, is said to be chewing over the UML proposal.

“Our party hasn’t made any further decision as we are still exploring different possibilities of a government change. I think things will be clearer after [our] politburo meeting,” said Mani Thapa, who is in the nine-member headquarters of the Maoist Centre. The issue of government change is likely to dominate the party’s politburo meeting scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

The Maoist party has taken a dubious stance on government change. While the party has officially stood in favour of a national consensus government, some of its leaders have been holding informal discussions with the NC to explore the possibility of a majority government.

But some top leaders of the party have stood against partnership with the NC arguing the largest party could take overall charge even of a Maoist-led coalition government involving it.

The NC leadership has given priority for a majority government. But interlocutors said that some senior leaders, including Krishna Prasad Sitaula, view the proposal positively.

NC leader Dilendra Prasad Badu, however, said that the idea of a consensus government cannot be considered as it will be against the norms of parliamentary politics.

“One of the three parties should stay in the opposition,” said Badu, adding, however, that they could forge consensus on key political issues.