Prez call divides political forces

KATHMANDU, Nov 24: President Ram Baran Yadav´s deadline for the parties to come up with a consensus prime ministerial candidate within the next seven days has divided the political forces.



While the ruling UCPN (Maoist) has lambasted the head of state accusing him of taking an "extra-constitutional" move, the opposition have parties have welcomed the move saying it would play a crucial role in ending the protracted political stalemate.[break]



The ruling party also said that the president has breached his constitutional limits by taking the move. “The president has breached his constitutional limit. The move is similar to the ones taken by the former kings,” the prime minister´s political advisor Devendra Paudel told Republica.



Paudel argued that the prime minister´s office and the president´s office should have jointly worked out a solution to the current deadlock. “But the president tried to move alone,” he added.



Paudel also argued that the president´s move could be an attempt to form government beyond the political parties as there is no legislature parliament. As per the Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution, president requires calling the parties to form majority-based government should the parties fail to form government through consensus.



However, opposition parties have hailed the president´s move.



Nepali Congress (NC) leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said the move is aimed at ending the deadlock. “This is a correct move. In fact, I was the first person to advocate for the president´s role in ending the deadlock. Though late, the president has taken the move. This will help resolve the political deadlock,” said Mahat.



Mahat said the president should exercise his discretion after consulting the parties represented in the erstwhile legislature-parliament if there is no consensus on the prime ministerial candidate. “The president should use his judgment in appointing the new prime minister after holding consultations with the parties,” he said, adding that president should name the prime minister who can garner support from majority.



CPN-UML Secretary Shankar Pokharel said the president should have called the parties to form a national consensus government when he reduced Bhattarai-led government to a caretaker on May 29. “Better late than never, it is a welcome move from the head of the state. Hope, this process will produce a consensus prime ministerial candidate and resolve the political impasse,” he said.



He argued that the president can even invoke Article 38 (2) if there was no consensus on the prime ministerial candidate within the set deadline. “If he can invoke Article 38 (1), there is no question why he cannot do so in the case of Article 38 (2)?” he questioned.



He argued that even invoking Article 38 (1) would be a constitutional breach as it requires a prime ministerial candidate to be a member of the legislature parliament-- something not possible at present.



Ashok Rai, chairman of the newly-formed Federal Socialist Party Nepal, said he is yet to study the president´s statement. He urged the president to maintain the head of state´s stature while taking any step. "He should maintain his position as a center of trust for all Nepali people and his steps should be aimed at solving the crisis rather than further complicating the situation," Rai told Republica.



Likewise, Co-Chairman of Rastriya Janashakti Party Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani said the president´s move is positive.



“All parties should exploit this opportunity to form a national consensus government by rising above their partisan interests,” he said. “Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in his capacity as the head of the largest party should take special initiatives to form a national consensus government.”

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