A source at Shital Niwas informed that the President disaccorded on the use of language in Prime Minister Sushil Koirala’s statement, calling the opposition for dialogues. “The ruling parties must have a big heart to bring the opposition in consensus. But the PM seemed in a rush,” the source said, quoting President Yadav as telling during a meet with Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairman Subas Nembang, “Some time should be taken to forge consensus. The ruling parties shouldn’t hurry.”

During the meeting, President Yadav stressed on the need to draft the constitution through consensus. Saying that he held meetings with the ruling and the parties outside the government after the opposition announced protest programmes, the president said the opposition bloc is not in favour of quitting the CA.

According to the source, the president’s office thinks that the environment for consensus was spoilt due to regular statements from the PM saying that the constitution will be drafted through majority votes if the opposition parties decide to stay out. “It seems like the ruling parties are threatening the opposition with their majority numbers when they should be lenient in including them. The written statement was also not according to the demands of the opposition.”

Meanwhile, the President’s press advisor Rajendra Dahal clarified that even though President Yadav has been stressing on the need to pay heed to the demands of the opposition, he was in no way encouraging the opposition’s agitation programmes.

“The parties represented in the CA cannot draft the constitution from streets. It will not be correct in the part of the agitating parties as well. That’s why the President has been calling the opposition alliance to return to the CA,” said Dahal, “The thing is that if the ruling parties have urged the opposition keeping this in their minds. The President has drawn the attention of the top leaders of the ruling NC and CPN-UML regarding this.”

CA Chairman Nembang said that President Yadav stressed on consensus among all political parties. “I told the President that talks held during the extended deadline should be result oriented,” said Nembang talking to journalists. He said that the President should call leaders of all the political parties and urge them to come up with results.

The CA Chairman also expressed his dissent over the ruling parties' failure to include the opposition leaders.