Deuba NC's candidate to lead consensus govt

KATHMANDU, Aug 17: Senior leaders of the Nepali Congress have reached an understanding to field senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba as its prime ministerial candidate to lead the consensus government, ending the row between Deuba and parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel over who should be the party´s prime ministerial candidate.



But the dispute over who should be the prime ministerial candidate if the prime minister is to be elected on a majority basis persists. [break]



“Deuba will be the party´s candidate to lead consensus government while Paudel would be fielded if the prime minister is to be chosen on a majority basis,” said Dr Shekhar Koirala. He said the party´s central committee meeting on Wednesday will endorse the agreement.



But the Deuba faction has disputed the understanding reached between the senior leaders.



“Deuba will be the party´s prime ministerial candidate to lead both consensus and majority government,” said Gopal Man Singh Shrestha, who is close to Deuba.



NC office bearers reached the agreement to end the dispute between Paudel and Deuba Tuesday morning at party President Sushil Koirala´s residence in Maharajgunj in their bid to stop the Deuba faction from filing a no-confidence motion against Paudel.



The Deuba faction was all set to file a motion seeking dismissal of Paudel as the party´s parliamentary leader on Tuesday.



Other leaders from the Deuba faction claimed no decision to field Paudel as the party´s prime ministerial candidate for majority government has been taken by party leaders.



“The meeting only discussed formation of a consensus government,” said NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC, who was present at the meeting.



Paudel had declined to step down as the party´s parliamentary leader despite pressure from the Deuba faction. But Paudel said he agreed on Deuba´s candidacy for consensus government in the interest of the party.



“I agreed to field Deuba to keep the party unity intact. But Deuba would be the prime minister only if the government is formed on the basis of consensus. I will be the party´s prime ministerial candidate to lead the majority government,” said Paudel.

 

Koirala had held a separate meeting with party general secretaries Prakash Man Singh, Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Arjun Narsingh KC before inviting Paudel and Deuba for the meeting.

Related story

NC’s Poudel faction faces difficulty to choose a common candida...