Oppn leaders ask Prez not to approve budget

THT ONLINE

KATHMANDU: The top leaders of five opposition parties including Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, CPN-ML and Rastriya Janashakti Party on Wednesday urged President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav not to approve the budget that the prime minister, who they said was already relieved from his responsibilities as per the Interim Constitution, intended to bring through an ordinance.

Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala, CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, RPP Chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana, CPN-ML General Secretary CP Mainali and RJP Co-Chairman Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani jointly met the head of the state at his office in Sheetal Niwas today and informed him that the opposition parties held a joint meeting yesterday and concluded that the caretaker government did not have any authority to bring the budget through ordinance in the absence of consensus among the political parties.

Referring to the media reports, the parties said the government, instead of taking an initiative to build a national consensus government, was preparing to issue the financial ordinance (budget) such that the country would be pushed to a political and constitutional crisis at the time prime minister was relived from his post after May 27.

“At this situation, it is inappropriate to bring the budget through a financial ordinance to stop the country from being pushed to further differences,” the five leaders said in a handwritten missive submitted to the President.

Mentioning that the Article 88 of Interim Constitution has let the President to decide whether or not to promulgate any ordinance as per his discretion, they said, “Thus, we request the honourable President not to approve the financial ordinance (budget) recommended by the government led by Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, who is already relieved from his position.”