Valley
UML, Maoists agree ‘to strengthen coalition’
Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday held a two-hour-long meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli as part of his what the Maoist leaders described as the last-ditch effort to seek consensus on unity government.Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday held a two-hour-long meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli as part of his what the Maoist leaders described as the last-ditch effort to seek consensus on unity government.
According to Pramod Dahal, press adviser to PM Oli, the two leaders have agreed to “strengthen the left coalition and turn the incumbent government into a national unity one”. “The two leaders were of the view that there is a need to strengthen the current coalition given the current political and social situation,” said Dahal.
Earlier in the day, the party had decided to hold “decisive negotiations” with the governing UML, the main opposition Nepali Congress and Madhes-based parties among others to forge consensus on national unity government.
Maoist Centre Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal said the party would “explore other alternatives if the efforts to forge consensus fail to bear fruits”. Earlier in the day, during a meeting of the Maoist Centre headquarters at Dahal’s residence, the party chairman had told leaders that the party would stick to the alliance “only if Oli agrees to step down”. According to Maoist leaders, Dahal, however, decided mind to give some more time to Oli after the NC refused to extend support to a national unity government.
Dahal on Monday itself had held talks with NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba.
“The party will start seeking an alternative to the Oli government if Oli fails to work in line with the commitments-both written and verbal,” said a Maoist leader.