Not in PM race: Dahal
Says no change in govt now
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KATHMANDU, NOV 06 -
Four days after signing a historic agreement that ended the three-year-old stalemate in the peace process, one of the signatories of the deal, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, said he was not willing to lead any form of government—consensus or majoritarian—until the peace process concludes.
Dismissing suggestions that he was looking forward to replacing his party colleague as prime minister, Dahal said he would not hanker for the prime ministerial position in the interim period.
Speaking to a select group of journalists at his residence on Saturday afternoon, the Maoist chairman did not conceal his ambition to become the first directly elected ‘chief executive’.
“I am not in the race to become the prime minister in the interim period,” Dahal said. “My aspiration is to run for the executive position in the elections on completion of the peace and constitution-writing processes.”
The seven-point deal inked among parties on Tuesday gave a definitive blueprint to the peace process for the first time but clauses in the accord about national unity government and a high-level political mechanism have led to much speculation about imminent change in the government leadership.
Dahal clarified that Tuesday’s accord did not intend to form a new government immediately. “I haven’t thought about removing Bhattarai,” said Dahal. “I don’t see changing the government now profits the country in anyway,” he said. Trying to appear consistently committed, the Maoist chairman said that since February this year, he had concentrated his efforts solely on concluding the peace and constitution-writing processes.
He was referring to the election of CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal as prime minister on February 3 after Dahal withdrew his candidacy and supported Khanal.
“I would be hurt if anyone thought that I facilitated the signing of the seven-point deal to just become the prime minister,” Dahal said, emotionally. He affirmed he would not lead even a consensus government at this stage.
Though Dahal didn’t give a clear sense of the timeline, Dahal exuded confidence that the peace process was in a proper trajectory. He admitted that though the rank determination issue had not been completely resolved, the parties had an understanding not to delay the process.
Dahal, who spoke to journalists hours before he left for New York to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said he would also make efforts to garner wider international support for the integration and rehabilitation of the former combatants.
Posted on: 2011-11-06 08:35
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