KATHMANDU, JAN 04 - Leaders of three mainstream political parties today cast doubt on King Gyanendra’s audience to the CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal yesterday, saying that it might more be an attempt to divide the parties than to finding a solution to political stalemate in the country."Despite the politics of dialogue, what is open to question is the motive behind all this," NC Spokesperson Arjun Narsingh KC said, expressing apprehensions that politics was still subject to divisive tactics.
KC said that there was no need to take the audience in bad light although it was still uncertain as to how many parties would be given the audience before the king arrives at a decision.
Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) leader Hridayesh Tripathi termed the latest overture from the king "strictly a private affair between King and Nepal" and said his party has nothing to comment about it.
"What I feel is talking with the king is not an end but a process," Tripathi said. "We have heard that the king has also met (Rajeswore) Devkota and (Lokendra Bahadur) Chand.
Tripathi stressed the need for continuity of the ongoing movement. "The king’s meeting with Nepal should not affect the movement at all."CPN-UML leader Jhala Nath Khanal claimed that the king was keen to see political parties bridging the gap after coming to consensus among them.
"The king listened to what our party had to say before suggesting unity among all democratic forces during his talks with our general secretary," Khanal said, adding, "what is needed next was the basis for wider consensus."
He, however, expressed ignorance as to how all this was going to be implemented to the satisfaction of all the actors. He said opening up of the dialogue after nearly seven months was a positive move.
"What is true now is ball has started rolling towards the political parties. Of course what is essential at the same time is we should not call off the agitation," Khanal further said, conceding that party General Secretary Nepal was still the Prime Ministerial candidate of all the pro-parliamentary parties.
Bimalendra Nidhi of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) said there was no discordance among the parties as sought by the king. "Parties have already agreed to either Nepal or Deuba as the next Prime Minister," he claimed.
He also claimed that whatever Nepal told his party seems to be his hopes and not confidence.Posted on: 2004-01-05 05:08

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