Talking to media persons after visiting a CPN-UML cadre, who was attacked by the Maoists in Surkhet, at TU Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, he, however, said that Dahal could not be his alternative as the latter is inciting violent movement in the country. [break]
The prime minister categorically said that if he was not acceptable to the post of prime minister so would Maoist Chairman Dahal.
His remarks comes amidst reports that ruling parties had asked Dahal to agree on alternative candidate from among NC Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Poudel, CPN-UML Jhala Nath Khanal and Maoist Vice Chair Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai for the post of prime minister.
Maoist leaders have reached an informal understanding on proposing Dahal as the next Prime Minister first and if they failed to garner support for him, they would keep open the option of awarding the job to another party leader.
The prime minister said the Maoists were the major stumbling block to peace and constitution drafting. He said that the Maoists had beaten up, looted and murdered both Nepali Congress and UML cadres in various parts of the country. He also alleged that the Maoists were bent on capturing state through street protests.
“The recent Maoists activities have shown that the Maoists are not a constructive but destructive force,” he said. “The Maoists are trying to invite disaster.”
PM Nepal said they now have two alternatives -- either to surrender all things to the Maoists or to unite all democratic forces together to fight back them.
UML to take initiatives for national consensus
The standing committee (SC) meeting of CPN-UML on Sunday decided to take serious initiatives toward forging a national consensus among the political parties.
The UML that earlier in its central committee meeting had decided to keep all options open for forging national consensus has moved a step ahead this time, said a UML leader. The decision to this effect was taken by the majority of the 11-member SC.
Of the 11 members, party vice-chairman Ashok Rai was absent in the meeting as he is in a visit to the United States.
“Among the 10 members present in the meeting, Bam Dev Gautam, who has been publicly demanding the prime minister´s resignation in the recent days, was the one who openly suggested the prime minister to step down,” said a leader. He said party secretary Yuvraj Gyawali also implicitly suggested that the prime minister should be ready to resign to pave way for national consensus.
Other eight members, however, were against immediate resignation of the prime minister without first finding a solution.
PM Nepal reiterated his stance that as he accepted the post as per the party´s central committee decision and that he would step down if the party suggests him to do so. “Either the party should clearly suggest me to step down or support me wholeheartedly,” the leader quoted the prime minister as saying.
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