NC‚ UML decide to oust govt

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: A meeting of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML today reiterated that fresh Constituent Assembly (CA) elections was the only alternative and formation of a national unity government was the first step towards that.

The meeting also concluded that the incumbent government must be ousted by mid-November as fresh CA polls by mid-May was imperative.

The top leaders of the two parties decided to compel the Unified CPN-Maoist, which was avoiding both CA revival and fresh CA elections on different pretexts to prolong its stay in government, to accept fresh polls at the earliest.

UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal said, “We don’t want to listen to the idea of CA revival at the moment because the UCPN-M itself is blocking its revival by not agreeing on unsettled issues. So, there is no way but fresh polls,” adding, “The parties must reach consensus on the size and composition of the new CA and for that a consensus government is the first step.”

Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat said, “The government will fall either through a move by the President or a movement of opposition parties after Dashain as fresh polls by mid-May is inevitable.” He added the UCPN-M had missed the bus as far as CA revival was concerned by not showing readiness to agree on unsettled issues of the new constitution prior to reinstatement of the CA. “So, the possibility of CA revival had been evaded,” he said.

UML leader Raghujee Panta said the meeting also decided to intensify protests against the government after Dashain as it was not going to quit easily. “Opposition parties have formed a four-member taskforce, which has already prepared a tentative draft of the protest programme. It will be finalised immediately after Dashain,” Panta said.