UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala and CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal held separate one-on-one parleys at different locations in the capital. [break]The leaders have expedited talks as the third deadline extended by President Ram Baran Yadav to the parties to come up with a consensus prime ministerial candidate is expiring on Monday.
“I held separate talks with Prachandaji [Dahal] and Sushilji (Koirala) today and talks with both the leaders are heading in a positive direction,” Khanal told Republica. He also informed that they discussed ways to ensure election by mid-May.
Khanal and Dahal held talks at the secretariat of Peace Fund in Babarmahal while Koirala reached Dahal´s residence in Lazimpat and Khanal´s home in Dallu, Kathmandu.
Though leaders didn´t divulge the details of the meetings, NC General Secretary Krishna Sitaula said he was optimistic that the talks would yield result in favor his party´s prime ministerial candidate Koirala.
“Talks are heading in a positive direction and it is certain that the parties will agree on forming a national consensus government under NC President Sushil Koirala´s leadership within the next few days,” Sitaula told Republica.
The alliance of the opposition parties led by NC and CPN-UML have proposed NC President Koirala as the opposition camp´s common prime ministerial candidate but the ruling UCPN (Maoist) has stood against his candidacy. Ruling Maoist leaders have been arguing that the new prime minister should be nominated from outside NC to ensure a “balance of power” at the top political level. President Dr Ram Baran Yadav is also from NC.
Leaders involved in interparty negotiations said Dahal has proposed picking the prime minister from outside NC. According to informed leaders, the Maoist chairman is currently rooting for Tarai-Madhesh Democratic Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur.
Some of the leaders privy to the latest developments are not optimistic about the leaders arriving at any agreement in the next couple of days. “There has been no progress in talks as UCPN (Maoist) leaders are not ready to quit,” said CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal.
He said forging consensus is going to be a hard nut to crack because Dahal is still insisting on a deal on the contents of the new constitution prior to holding fresh CA polls. Leaders from NC, CPN-UML and other opposition parties have been opposing the Maoist proposal saying there is no point in holding an election if major provisions of the new statute are to be decided by a group of leaders in advance.
President Yadav extended the deadline for political parties to find a consensus prime ministerial candidate for five days on November 23.
The president had to renew the deadline for the third time as the political parties failed to pick a prime ministerial candidate acceptable to all.
Related story
NC leader Sitaula picked as ruling coalition task force coordin...
