The CPN-UML, which earlier in the day reiterated its stance that the government should focus on local polls set for May 14 rather than constitution amendment, later on Monday demanded that the government come up with a “final proposal” that could ensure Madhes-based parties’ participation in the elections.
The CPN-UML, which earlier in the day reiterated its stance that the government should focus on local polls set for May 14 rather than constitution amendment, later on Monday demanded that the government come up with a “final proposal” that could ensure Madhes-based parties’ participation in the elections.
The main opposition held meetings with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal twice in the day—first in the morning and second in the evening—to discuss ways to break the deadlock. PM Dahal’s coalition partners, the Nepali Congress and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, were present in both meetings.
Subas Nembang, deputy leader of the Parliamentary Party of the UML, said, “Our chairman called for a proposal from the government after PM Dahal sought UML’s help to find way to bring the Morcha on board elections.”
The intensified meetings among parties come amid concerns from the Election Commission (EC) over the poll prospects in the wake of warnings from the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of seven Madhes-based parties, that it would not participate in elections and rather disrupt them.
The government’s failure to address Morcha’s demand of constitution amendment has angered the Madhes-based forces. The Morcha last week withdrew its support to the government and has announced protests.
However, PM Dahal has continued efforts to convince the Morcha to participate in polls and one of the proposals he has floated is amending the constitution without addressing the boundary row, one of the key demands of the Morcha, for now.
An informal taskforce formed by PM Dahal comprising leaders from the governing alliance and the Morcha has also been holding talks to find a way to break the stalemate. PM Dahal during the morning meeting had told UML leaders, including party Chairman KP Sharma Oli, that issues related to boundary cannot be addressed at this point of time, hence he was engaging the Morcha leaders with a view to bringing them on board elections by addressing their other concerns.
Oli is learnt to have warned the ruling coalition that the polls would be jeopardised if the government continued to focus on constitution amendment.
Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.
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