The president on Sunday invited CPN (Samyukta) Chairman Chandradev Joshi, Rastriya Janamorcha Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC and CPN-ML General Secretary CP Mainali at the president´s office and sought their suggestions on breaking the deadlock.[break]
According to the leaders, the head of state is in a mood to call an all-party meeting after January 9, when the latest deadline expires.
The three leaders advised the president to make an announcement to the people making his views clear to dispel rumors that are making rounds in the recent days. "We told him that he should directly tell the people and make it clear that the main intention behind his move was to inspire the political parties to form a consensus government and that he can do nothing more even as the process is producing no result," Joshi told Republica. According to him, the president has been repeatedly telling the leaders that he has no intention to take over the executive power but only to facilitate the political parties to find a solution.
"Now it is time that he needs to make the same thing clear before the people," said Joshi. According to him, the three leaders were unanimous in offering the suggestions to the president. He opined that Yadav may make a televised address to the people or issue a written statement.
After listening to the leaders´ suggestions, the president responded positively and he is likely to consult his lawyers on what can be the right way to address the nation and its legal aspects.
Joshi found the president quite dispirited by the major political parties´ failure in giving a solution to the country even as he extended the deadline for a seventh time.
"Every time they [leaders from major parties] come to me and seek some more days more claiming that they are inching closer to an agreement but the solution is nowhere in sight," Joshi quoted the president as saying. The president holds regular consultations with leaders from UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Madhesi Democratic Front on ending the political deadlock while he seldom talks to leaders from small political parties.
After making repeated informal calls to the major political parties to form consensus government, the president on November 23 issued a weeklong deadline in writing to the parties to come up with a consensus prime ministerial candidate. As the parties failed to agree on any leader, he extended the deadline for the seventh time on Saturday but the parties are still rigid on their positions.
Opposition parties have proposed Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala as their common candidate while ruling UCPN (Maoist) has rejected him.
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