Parties likely to head for a unity govt showdown

KATHMANDU, APR 30 -
Parties seem to be headed for a fresh battle over the leadership of a unity government, which they had earlier agreed to form once the peace process took momentum.
While the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML on Sunday said the key contentions in the new constitution cannot be settled without any deal on formation of national unity government under a new leadership, the Maoists insisted that the incumbent government should be transformedinto a consensus one.
In Sunday’s four-party talks, both the ruling Maoists and the opposition parties said they now needed a package deal to settle constitutional issues along with ironing out differences on forming a unity government. “A national unity government should have been formed much earlier. Now it is an urgent need as that only will create an environment conducive to settling differences in the constitution and itspromulgation,” said UML leader Bhim Rawal.
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai also underlined the need for a unity government at the earliest. They, however, stressed on building on the current government. The ruling alliance, Madhesi Morcha, has also indicated thatit is for continuity of the Bhattarai-led government if the NC does not join in. “Now the process of formation of a consensus government will gain momentum along with discussions on federalism and forms of governance,” Dahal said, adding that discussions on all issues have been positive. Bhattarai has already urged the NC and the UML to join the incumbent government to give it a shape of a national consensus one. A section in the NC has reacted positively as the peace process has reached an “irreversible point”, but there are strong opinions in the NC and the UML that Bhattarai should resign to pave way for another government. Both the NC and the UML had condemned the four-point deal signed between the Maoists and the Morcha that led to the formation of the Bhattarai-led government.
“PM Bhattarai should resign to pave way for a consensus government,” said senior UML leader KP Oli after the meeting.
NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel accused the Maoist party of trying to delay a package deal on national unity government, federalism and forms of governance as “it does not want to step down anytime soon.”
“As we have to move ahead with consensus even after the promulgation of the constitution, the issue of the government should befinalised at the earliest,” he said. Maoist leaders, however, dubbed the NC’s demand for a package deal as “a surprising move.” “NC should have no more problems as we are always welcoming the party in the government,” said Minister for irrigation Mahendra Yadav. Yadav claimed that the NC could possibly get the leadership of the governmentonly during the general elections.
Posted on: 2012-04-30 08:28