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Gautam takes fresh jab at harried PM
KATHMANDU, MAY 02 -
It's another blow for beleaguered Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal. Sixty 60 CPN (UML) leaders, including Vice-Chairman Bam Dev Gautam, six Constituent Assembly members and nine Central Committee members have asked him to “step down and pave the way for a consensus government”.
The Gautam group forwarded its “strong message” to Nepal through party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal right after Nepal hinted in his Sunday’s address at a “U-turn” in his approach to the current political deadlock.
Khanal, however, said that while the “content and spirit of the memorandum were right the process adopted in delivering it was wrong”.
The Gautam group decided to formally ask the prime minister to resign after “reading his mind” through his Saturday’s address to the nation. “His address evinced an intention to invite confrontation rather than resolve the deadlock,” Gautam told the Post. “Therefore, we were compelled to forward that memorandum to the chairman to save the country and people from possible confrontation and the inevitable disaster that would ensue.”
However, Khanal doubted the authenticity of the memorandum saying it was electronically forwarded to him and some journalists through an email address belonging to the UCPN (Maoist).
Asked about the authenticity of the email, Gautam confirmed that it was his initiative. “All 60 leaders who have put their signatures fully agreed to move ahead for the formation of a consensus government,” said Gautam.
UML leaders, including Kiran Gurung, DB Gurung, Rajendra Shrestha, Yuba Raj Karki, Radha Gyawali, Rabindra Adhikari, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Gopal Shakya, Parshu Ram Meghi Gurung, Trilochan Dhakal, Sabitra Bhusal, Ganesh BK and Mohan Chandra Adhikari confirmed their support of the memorandum.
However, 12 UML leaders including Sahana Pradhan and Padma Aryal said they did not favour the move. “I agree to the call for forging a consensus government but it is not necessary to bring down the incumbent dispensation. I have not signed that memorandum,” said Aryal.
Gautam said the move precipitated after Nepal made a U-turn in his approach to the current deadlock right after his SAARC Summit sojourn in Thimphu.
UML senior leader KP Oli dubbed the memorandum “a conspiracy against the party”.
Meanwhile, the UML issued a statement on Sunday evening warning that some leaders’ activities against the government had breached party policy and that they would be liable to action.
Posted on: 2010-05-03 08:36
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