KATHMANDU, DEC 02 -
The opposition parties--Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist--have remarked that the resignation of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is the first condition for agreement. The opposition parties said that they would not sit for talks to seek other alternative unless the prime minister stepped down.
The parties' stand came in the wake of UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's claim that Bhattarai is the one and only appropriate candidate and that the NC-UML were positive about it.
A meeting between the NC and CPN-Maoist held on Sunday as part of the efforts to forge consensus within the deadline given by the president decided to intensify the demand for PM Bhattarai's ouster.
The meeting concluded that they could not accept Bhattarai's leadership for the national consensus government.
The meeting attended by NC President Sushil Koirala and CPN-Maosit Vice Chairman CP Gajurel and leader Deve Gurung at Koirala's residence in Maharajgunj also agreed to hit the streets against the government.
"There is no alternative to the ouster of the current government to forge consensus," CPN-Maoist leader Gurung told eKantipur. "We have decided to hit the go for street protests if the door to dialogue and legal ways are shut," he added.
Saying that the constitutional basis of the government has ended, Gurung said the government has been surviving only because of the president's approval as caretaker status and approval of ordinances.
"The president should stop giving legality to the government," said Gurung adding, "The steps taken by the president should also be rectified."
He claimed that the president's call to form of a consensus government was meaningless. "Sushila Koirala ji has refused to accept Baburam Bhattarai's leadership and we also think the same," the CPN-Maoist leader said. "We have agreed on the need to unite to unseat the current government."
Likewise, NC President Koirala ruled out the possibility of agreement unless the government resigned.
President Ram Baran Yadav has extended the deadline to pick a consensual candidate to lead a national government till Wednesday.
CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal said that Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai was the obstruction on the path to consensus and there was no chance of agreement until he stepped down. "I repeat it again and again that there is no possibility of consensus under Bhattarai's leadership," said the UML chairman.
The parties' stand came in the wake of UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's claim that Bhattarai is the one and only appropriate candidate and that the NC-UML were positive about it.
A meeting between the NC and CPN-Maoist held on Sunday as part of the efforts to forge consensus within the deadline given by the president decided to intensify the demand for PM Bhattarai's ouster.
The meeting concluded that they could not accept Bhattarai's leadership for the national consensus government.
The meeting attended by NC President Sushil Koirala and CPN-Maosit Vice Chairman CP Gajurel and leader Deve Gurung at Koirala's residence in Maharajgunj also agreed to hit the streets against the government.
"There is no alternative to the ouster of the current government to forge consensus," CPN-Maoist leader Gurung told eKantipur. "We have decided to hit the go for street protests if the door to dialogue and legal ways are shut," he added.
Saying that the constitutional basis of the government has ended, Gurung said the government has been surviving only because of the president's approval as caretaker status and approval of ordinances.
"The president should stop giving legality to the government," said Gurung adding, "The steps taken by the president should also be rectified."
He claimed that the president's call to form of a consensus government was meaningless. "Sushila Koirala ji has refused to accept Baburam Bhattarai's leadership and we also think the same," the CPN-Maoist leader said. "We have agreed on the need to unite to unseat the current government."
Likewise, NC President Koirala ruled out the possibility of agreement unless the government resigned.
President Ram Baran Yadav has extended the deadline to pick a consensual candidate to lead a national government till Wednesday.
CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal said that Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai was the obstruction on the path to consensus and there was no chance of agreement until he stepped down. "I repeat it again and again that there is no possibility of consensus under Bhattarai's leadership," said the UML chairman.
Comments