CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal had floated a proposal seeking the opposition parties´ flexibility on picking a prime ministerial candidate other than Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala, who has been proposed as a common candidate of the opposition alliance led by NC and CPN-UML. Ruling UCPN (Maoist) has ruled out any possibility of the party joining the Koirala-led government.[break]
While Nepal floated a proposal to seek an alternative candidate if that helps end the protracted deadlock, most of the leaders at the 12-party meeting held at Baneshwar on Saturday evening turned down the idea. "Leaders from almost all the 12 parties present at the meeting said that there is no point in seeking another candidate as it is just another tactic of the UCPN(Maoist) to confuse opposition parties," Chitra Bahadur KC of Rastriya Janamorcha told Republica.
According to him, nearly all the leaders at the meeting pressed the NC and UML leaders to launch massive protests against the ruling parties.
"The meeting today [Saturday] concluded that the ruling coalition´s recent moves have created grounds for nationwide protests. The next meeting of the opposition parties scheduled for Monday will come up with a final decision on launching anti-government protests," NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC told Republica.
The political deadlock has been prolonging for months as the opposition parties have been insisting on the immediate exit of the present government while the ruling coalition rejected Koirala´s candidacy.
CPN-UML leaders, including party Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, former Prime Minister Nepal and Bamdev Gautam had held a meeting with NC leaders at Koirala´s residence earlier in the morning. They asked the NC leaders if the party can be flexible on the idea of seeking an alternative candidate. But NC leaders were not convinced by the UML´s proposal.
Later, the UML leaders also talked to UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal along with other Maoist leaders and discussed formation of the new government.
Leaders said the ruling Maoists were dead-set against Koirala´s candidacy and urged the UML leader to find an alternative prime ministerial candidate. Ruling Maoists have been insisting that the election government to be formed under a leader who is currently not aligned with any major political party.
The UML leaders also discussed letting the president to nominate a prime ministerial candidate in consultation with the political parties if leaders from major political parties fail to agree on a common candidate.
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