A meeting held between top leaders of the three parties shortly after Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal returned from Malaysia failed to make any headway towards averting a 10th round of voting for prime minister after the NC insisted that it would not withdraw its candidacy without first reaching a package deal on peace, constitution-writing and the leadership of the new government. [break]
The parties, however, have agreed to sit for another meeting on Wednesday before the voting for prime minister takes place, to strive for a consensus.
Talking to media after Tuesday´s meeting at NC´s Parliamentary Party office at Singh Durbar, Maoist Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the meeting failed to make any progress as the NC turned down the request to withdraw its prime ministerial candidacy and forge a consensus.
“We asked the Nepali Congress to withdraw its candidacy for prime minister and pave the way for presenting the budget in parliament before Dashain,” he said.
NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel is the lone candidate for prime minister.
Shrestha said they proposed that the NC first withdraw its prime ministerial candidacy and then go for a package deal to end the protracted political deadlock.
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Vice-chairmen Shrestha and Mohan Baidhya and General-Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa, NC leaders Ram Chandra Poudel, Arjun Narsing KC, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Bimalendra Nidhi and UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, Bishnu Poudel and Yuvraj Gyawali were present at the meeting.
During the meeting, both Maoist and UML leaders had asked the NC to withdraw its prime ministerial candidacy as two-thirds of the members of parliament were not taking part in the voting process. The NC for its part proposed puting off the vote for the time being to seek consensus, but no decision was made on that.
NC prime ministerial candidate Poudel told media that the NC is against withdrawing its candidacy without forging a package deal on peace, constitution and the modality and leadership of a new government.
“We have proposed that the Maoists settle the issues within the next few days through negotiations and prepare a work plan,” he said. “Nepali Congress will not withdraw its candidacy for prime minister.”
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