KATHMANDU, Dec 20: At a time when leaderships of UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML are trying to forge a consensus on formation of national consensus government, the ruling coalition has decided that it will not accept an NC led government until a package deal is struck among political parties on all issues including Constituent Assembly (CA) polls by mid May.
A meeting of the ruling parties including UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based political parties held at Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai´s resident at Baluwatar on Wednesday evening concluded that the present caretaker government should be transformed into a national consensus government. [break]
"The meeting concluded that the present government will not have any problem to hand over the leadership if political parties strike a package deal that will not leave any issue unaddressed," Health Minister Rajnedra Mahato, who is also chairman of Sadbhawana Party, told Republica.
The ruling coalition stated that it was not a compulsion to accept national consensus government led by the NC. "If the NC cannot join the present government-led by Bhattarai, how can we accept NC leadership?" Mahato informed about the conclusion of the meeting, adding, "We are not going to welcome the NC with garland."
According to a senior Madhesi minister present at the meeting, Prime Minister Bhattarai expressed strong dissatisfaction over handing over the government leadership to NC President Sushil Koirala. "Why should we let a leader to lead national consensus government who stood against the proposal to extend the erstwhile CA term and formation of federal states based on ethnicity?" the Madhesi leader, on the condition of anonymity, quoted Bhattarai as saying in the meeting.
Taking a strong reservation against political parties´ proposal to extend the CA term for three more months before May 27, Koirala had stated that extension of the CA term would be unacceptable.
The ruling coalition accused major opposition parties - NC and CPN-UML of foiling environment of consensus among political parties. "The present situation aroused as the NC and CPN-UML have been involved in politics of boycotting others," said Mahato.
Earlier, in a meeting of the ruling United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), chairmen of five Madhesi parties in the alliance expressed doubt over promulgation of a federal republic constitution under NC led government.
"We should not support an anti-federalist leader, who termed the four-point agreement as anti-national to lead a national consensus government," a senior Madhesi leader quoted Chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) Bijaj Kumar Gachchhadar as saying at the meeting.
Gachchhadar, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, further ssaid that the Madhesi alliance must not accept consensus forged only among major three parties.
According to another leader, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Chairman Mahantha Thakur stressed on the need of raising Madhesi issues strongly, stating that they cannot address their issues by staying out of the government.
Vice-chairman of MPRF-D Rameshwor Raya Yadav said they could not accept NC led government until it addressed Madhesi issues incorporated into the 8-point, 22-point and 4-point deals struck with Madhesi parties in the past.
General Secretary of Sadbhawana Party Manish Suman informed that the meeting will be continue on Friday as only five chairmen could air their views in the meeting.
Related story
Dashain aayo (again)
