Miscellaneous
UML to seek equal footing
As differences grow with the senior coalition partner in re-endorsing the President and Vice President, the ruling CPN-UML has geared up for “decisive” talks with the Nepali Congress.
The party, which has already drawn the attention of NC President and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, will hold another round of talks regarding the delay in having the head of state and his deputy approved by the second Constituent Assembly in line with a seven-point agreement signed before Koirala’s election.
In his address to the Central Committee meeting that started on Tuesday, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli said he would discuss with the NC brass the implementation of the agreement, and the perceived “non-cooperation” with the ministries headed by his party. Oli accuses the NC of promoting monopoly in government functioning, undermining the UML’s equal strength in Parliament and the contribution made to install the ruling coalition.
In his brief address to the meeting, Oli stressed the need to continue the partnership with the NC until January 22, the deadline set by the Constituent Assembly for promulgating a constitution.
New constitution is the utmost priority of his party so it would strive to accomplish the unfinished task within the set time. Oli’s response comes amid rumours in the political spectrum that the second largest party is preparing to take charge of the government by replacing incumbent Prime Minister Sushil Koirala.
“We have no alternative to working with Congress by making it correct its working style until the country gets a new constitution,” said Oli.
The party stands for taking all the political forces that are outside the CA into confidence before promulgating the constitution, and adopting an agreeable procedure in case they disagree with the contents of the national charter.
Even as the two parties had agreed to re-endorse the President and his deputy in the context of a fresh mandate, the NC has been hesitating to implement the clause of the seven-point agreement.
Instead, a section of Congress leaders have asked the UML to quit the government and form a new one if it is dissatisfied.
UML leaders are hopeful of a solution through dialogue. “We will continue to press the Congress and hold a dialogue with it at the same time. It has no alternative but to abide by the agreement,” said UML leader Pradeep Gyawali.
A larger section of the NC is for re-endorsing the President and the Vice President, he argued, while some others who opposed an NC-UML coalition before the agreement were against the idea in their bid to derail the constitution project.
All four taken as central members
The CPN-UML on Tuesday named all the four candidates who got an equal number of votes in the recently held ninth general convention as Central Committee members. Nagendra Chaudhary and Khimlal Bhattarai, and Mohamad Mafuj Ansari and Siraj Ahamad Faruki contesting for two seats had got equal number of votes. The party’s Election Commission had tried to elect two candidates by drawing lots but they refused the process. All the candidates were taken in after senior leaders agreed to accommodate two more candidates under the nomination quota.