The leaders aired their views at the party´s ongoing central committee (CC) meeting on Wednesday, though a few other leaders stood against the idea saying such a move would only serve the ruling UCPN(Maoist)´s interests.[break]
Central Committee member Shri Prasad Sah said a majority from among a dozen leaders, who aired their views during the meeting, suggested to the party leadership to be ready for an alternative prime ministerial candidate so that the party can play a leading role in ending the deadlock.
Saying that UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai have categorically rejected Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala´s candidacy, Nepal argued at the meeting that further wasting time in a state of indecisiveness would cause a huge loss to the country.
Jagannath Khatiwada, Shri Prasad Sah and Ram Chandra Sah, among others, seconded Nepal, who also heads the party´s talks team.
The opposition alliance led by Nepali Congress and CPN-UML had last month proposed Koirala as the coalition´s common candidate but UCPN (Maoist) leaders rejected the proposal outright.
However, other UML leaders during the meeting on Wednesday argued that there is no point in proposing yet another prime ministerial candidate “as it is certain that the Maoists would reject the proposal because they want to cling on to power on one or the other pretext ".
"The Maoists are likely to reject another candidate as well but giving an alternative is necessary to expose the Maoist leaders´ dishonesty," Sah quoted Nepal as saying at the meeting.
"We should come up with alternatives and work hard to end the deadlock so that people will not judge UML as an inactive party." Nepal also argued that it was the democratic forces´ compulsion to take Maoist leaders´ into confidence while seeking solution of the national crisis because other parties can´t afford to bypass the UCPN (Maoist) that has emerged as a strong political force.
While Sah and some other leaders were for proposing an alternative candidate from a small political party, a few members said the UML should stake claim to government leadership. "Our party had unanimously supported the NC candidate. If Koirala couldn´t capitalize on our support, we ourselves should move forward and stake claim to leadership in the new government," Khatiwada told Republica.
However, some leaders claimed that UCPN (Maoist) party´s move to press NC and UML leaders to propose another prime ministerial candidate was nothing more than a tactic to buy more time to prolong its stay in power and to defer elections.
"We shouldn´t be confused by Maoist leaders´ proposal because it is certain that they will reject another candidate as well. Their plan is to confuse, divide and weaken the opposition alliance," said Bhanubhakta Dhakal.
Some members also suggested to the party leadership not to propose another prime ministerial candidate just at the behest of UCPN (Maoist).
Most of the central committee members criticized the party leadership for failing to intensify protests that were halted in the name of holding talks with the ruling parties. "If we can intensify nationwide protests, we will have an upper hand in the talks. Or else, the Maoists are not going to make any compromise," said Khatiwada.
As most of those airing their views were for intensifying protests on the issues concerning national interests, public concerns and deepening political as well as constitutional crisis, the meeting decided to launch three-month long nationwide agitation.
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