The Maoist party's decision has come at a time when the NC and UML have been at loggerheads over electing the new prime minister.The UML has already proposed its chairman KP Sharma Oli as the party's official prime ministerial candidate while NC leaders have publicly announced that they will not support UML's bid to form new government.
While UML has been claiming the prime ministerial post based on a gentleman's agreement reportedly reached between the NC and UML in the past, some key NC leaders have said that the NC party as an institution doesn't recognize such "illegitimate deal" even if it was reached among certain leaders in a different context.
"We at our party's office bearers' meeting reached a conclusion that the NC and UML should reach an agreement about the government leadership. Then, our party will come up with an official decision," UCPN (Maoist) chief whip Giriraj Mani Pokharel told Republica.
According to him, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has admitted that a gentleman's agreement had been reached among the major political forces in June and that the UCPN (Maoist) is for forming new coalition based on the same deal.
"But, at first the two sides need to be clear about their stances. Once, they come up with an understanding, we will take our decision," he explained.
So far, Dahal has been consistent in supporting Oli's candidacy for the post and he has been publicly saying that the three parties should form a coalition government. He has been saying that a government of all the major political forces has become imperative given the challenges seen in implementing the new constitution in the days to come.
The UCPN (Maoist) has also proposed taking the disgruntled political parties into confidence while forming the new government, showing unflinching commitment to preservation of national interest and resolving the demands of agitating political parties as far as possible.
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