During a meeting held at the NC parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar, the small parties argued that there must be broad agreement with the Maoists on contentious issues related to constitution drafting and management of arms and Maoist combatants before the withdrawal of NC candidacy. [break]
The meeting comes at a time when the Maoists have been pressing Speaker Subas Nembang to exercise his prerogative to terminate the ongoing process to elect prime minister.
President of Samajbadi Prajatantrik Janata Party, Nepal, Prem Bahadur Singh said they believe that political deadlock in the country won´t be resolved without the parties forging an agreement on key issues. “Political uncertainty will worsen further if NC candidacy is withdrawn without reaching a broad agreement on key issues,” he said.
Singh said they will hold a meeting of 12 small parties on Sunday to form a common view on PM candidacy withdrawal. The 10th round of voting to elect a new prime minister is scheduled for October 6.
NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Poudel is only candidate in the prime ministerial race after Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal withdrew his candidacy.
NC has already said that it would not withdraw its candidacy until the parties reach a package deal on peace process and other issues related to constitution drafting.
“We have been insisting that the Maoists must come up with a work plan to transform into civilian party by disassociating the party with its arms and combatants before the withdrawal of the prime ministerial candidacy,” said Chandra Dev Joshi, Chairman of CPN (Samyukta).
Leaders from Rastriya Janashakti Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, CPN-ML, Chure Bhawar Rastriya Party, Federal Democratic National Party, Nepal Family Party, CPN (Samyukta), Tarai Madhes Democratic Party were among those present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, NC called a press conference on Saturday afternoon to make public its view on the withdrawal of its prime ministerial candidacy. The party earlier had forwarded four conditions for the withdrawal of its candidacy for prime minister.
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