CPN-UML Vice-chairman Bhim Rawal has expressed his confidence that negotiations with the CPN (Maoist Centre) will lead to a broader understanding on government formation and party unification.

The two parties in the left bloc announced a merger process while forging an electoral alliance in October. The alliance worked well, as the results of the federal parliamentary and provincial assembly elections have shown. In the first-past-the-post system of the House of Representatives election, the alliance won 116 seats in total. The two parties have also started merger talks.

At an interaction organised by the Reporters’ Club in the Capital on Monday, Rawal suggested that UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli would head the new government while Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal would lead the unified party.

“It’s highly likely that Oli will become the prime minister,” Rawal added. The Maoist Center is batting for “collective leadership” but some UML leaders including General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel have called for a single strong leader.

“Negotiations are underway. Both the parties are working to resolve the differences,” said Rawal. “All we want is the country’s development and prosperity. We will move forward in a way to meet aspirations of the people.”

Rawal remarked that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s stance on handing over power only after the National Assembly election was flawed. People have given a clear mandate to the left alliance but Deuba is disrespecting it. After losing election, it does not suit the NC to stay on in government,” he added. “It’s undemocratic.”

Stating that all the parties had clearly agreed on majority votes for forming the upper house while writing the constitution, the UML vice-chairman said PM Deuba had asked President Bidya Devi Bhandari to approve an “unconstitutional” ordinance on election to the Assembly. He appealed to PM Deuba to clear the way for a new government.