E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, JAN 20 - Three major parties--the UCPN (Maoist), the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML--made no progress on forming a new consensus government on Thursday, a day before the expiry of a week-long deadline given by President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to forge consensus on a national unity government.

However, the parties have agreed to lay down their respective bottomline on power-sharing and on the peace process on Friday to make a last ditch attempt to explore common ground before the ball lands in the president's court again. 

Leaders of the three parties admit that there is no possibility of an agreement on a consensual government. The President's Office will ask the Parliament Secretariat to initiate a process for electing a majority government as per article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution on Saturday if a last minute agreement doesn't come through.

A meeting of top leaders of the three major parties at the CPN-UML Parliamentary Party Office in Singhadurbar on Thursday morning failed to make any headway after all the parties appeared unwilling to give up their respective claims to the leadership of the new government. The parties have agreed to hold further discussions on Friday.

"As of now, all three major parties continue to claim the leadership and there is no possibility of a national unity government," said Nepali Congress Chief Whip Laxman Prasad Ghimire. "There is also no possibility of us requesting the president for an extension of the deadline to forge consensus."

UML Chief Whip Bhim Acharya said his party is ready to accept Maoist or NC leadership in the new government provided the two parties agree on a power-sharing deal. "We will not be an obstacle to national consensus, but if both the parties can't forge consensus, they should accept a UML-led national unity government," Acharya said.

The top leaders are also yet to agree on the amendment to the parliamentary rules to start the new process for electing a majority government. The House plans to conduct prime ministerial election based on the existing provisions of the parliamentary rules of procedures if there is no consensus among parties by Friday.

The three-party meeting will try to resolve the row on the rules amendment before the House session resumes on Friday afternoon.

Posted on: 2011-01-20 10:13

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