Senior Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel said on Wednesday that there was no alternative to seeking consensus among major forces on a package deal to ensure elections as stipulated by the constitution.

The main opposition CPN-UML will be ready amend the constitution if the ruling coalition decides to vote in favour of an impeachment motion against Lokman Singh Karki, said Poudel. Karki remains suspended as the chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority following the registration of an impeachment motion against him by UML and Maoist lawmakers in October.

Poudel’s party, however, is yet to make it position on the impeachment motion clear.

“Issues including resuming House proceedings to begin deliberations on election-related bills and nominating vacant chairs of parliamentary committees should also be included in the package deal,” he said.  “The one basis to bring the UML to assist in statute amendment to go for polls would be voting in favour of the impeachment motion against Karki. Major parties have to understand that we do not only have the responsibility of implementing the statute but also have to hold three rounds of elections,” said Poudel. As per the constitutional deadline, the local, provincial and federal elections must be held by January 2018.

Stating that the UML has resorted to undemocratic practice by obstructing House proceedings, the NC leader, however, expressed confidence that the party would come on board.