CJ has agreed to take up PM post: Bhattarai

KATHMANDU, Feb 19: Despite news reports that Chief Justice Khila Raj Regmi has refused to head an election-government, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has claimed that the chief justice has agreed to head such government.



Addressing the diamond jubilee celebration function of Aghal Bhanjyang Secondary School in Gorkha on Tuesday, Prime Minister Bhattarai also claimed that the CJ-led government will not be undemocratic.[break]



"As prime minister, I am constantly in contact with the chief justice. He is ready to assume the responsibility," the prime minister said talking to journalists. He also alleged that those against formation of a chief justice-led government are spreading rumors.



At a meeting with the prime minister Tuesday morning, Chief Justice Regmi had stated that he would take up the post of prime minister only if all political parties express commitment to cooperate with him.



Major political parties including the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front on Saturday had agreed to form an the election government with the chief justice as head. And on Monday, the top leaders of the parties had worked out a draft deal to form an election government under the leadership of sitting chief justice and to hold Constituent Assembly (CA) elections by mid-June.



According to the draft deal, the election will be held by mid-June and the new government will fix the date for the election.



Claiming that a high-level mechanism would be formed to run the government, Bhattarai said that the parties will not allow the new chief justice-led government to become undemocratic.

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