Maoists undecided over consensus govt

KATHMANDU, Feb 12: Maoist radical faction has stuck to its demand that party vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai resign from the post of prime minister to pave the way for a national consensus government, but the Bhattarai faction has countered that there must be national consensus on power-sharing before the prime minister steps down.



“They [radical faction leaders] say that the prime minister must resign now and then the parties will work to form a national consensus government,” Maoist spokesman Dinanath Sharma told Republica after the party´s standing committee meeting on Sunday. [break]



But the leaders from the party establishment, most of them ministers, had argued that there is no point for the prime minister to resign before there is consensus on the formation of a national consensus government.



“An option to the current coalition must be in place first. Otherwise, what difference will the resignation make,” argued Sharma.



Party secretary CP Gajurel from the radical faction said that Dahal has also proposed recalling the ministers from the current coalition and sending new set of leaders into the cabinet. But the radical faction led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya has been rejecting the proposal.



They have demanded that the prime minister should resign for compromising with the fundamental principles of the party in the name of concluding the peace and constitution drafting process. Meanwhile, the party has decided to celebrate the anniversary People´s War on Monday.

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