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PM manages to buy more time
KATHMANDU, APR 03 -
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has initiated efforts to sabotage the efforts of his own party members, including the signature campaign that demanded his resignation.
On Saturday evening, Nepal called CPN-UML Chief Whip Bhim Acharya at his official residence in Baluwatar and directed him to cancel the meeting of the UML Parliamentary Party scheduled for Sunday. The meeting was expected to decide the fate of the current UML government.
Nepal’s move comes at a time when over 70 Constituent Assembly (CA) members and a majority of Central Committee members of the UML have prepared a proposal demanding his resignation to “make way” for a national consensus government. The proposal backed up by a majority vote was scheduled to be tabled at Sunday’s meeting.
“He (the prime minister) called me at his official residence and told me to cancel the meeting immediately,” said Chief Whip Acharya.
The UML chief whip rushed to party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal’s residence in Dallu right after the prime minister’s directive and took the decision to cancel the meeting at the 11th hour.
Nepal directed the postponement of the meeting mainly because some 20 UML CA members, who are said to be supporting him, are out of town, said a source close to the prime minister.
“Nepal is not sure whether he will get necessary support to continue as prime minister,” said the source.
Most of the UML leaders and CA members, especially those who are close to the party establishment, have long been stressing the formation of a national coalition government, concluding that the incumbent government is incapable of addressing the current deadlock and promulgating the constitution within the May 28 deadline.
As per parliamentary rules, a party can call back its representative in the government, including the prime minister, if the party deems it necessary.
UML sources said the party would call the meeting within 4-5 days. Sunday’s assembly was supposed to be a meeting of both the UML Parliamentary Party and the Standing Committee, a rare event of its kind. It was expected be crucial in deciding the fate of the Nepal-led government. Tabling of the proposal containing the signatures and formation of a national consensus government were the main agendas of the meeting.
Posted on: 2010-04-04 07:53
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