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UML meet to dwell on pressing issues
KATHMANDU, MAY 14 -
In its bid to resolve all controversial issues that have surfaced in the party, the ruling CPN (UML) has called its Central Committee (CC) meeting on Saturday.
UML leaders said on Friday that the meeting will lay stress on building consensus on contentious issues like a new power equation, extension of the Constituent Assembly (CA) tenure, statue writing and integration of Maoist combatants. However, some UML leaders have come up with their own strategies on whether to continue with the government or step down.
Some central committee members close to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal are all set to voice for the government, while party chairman Jhala Nath Khanal’s supporters are preparing to request the prime minister to tender his resignation and pave way for a unity government.
“The time is not right for the government to step down. If any leader stands against the party’s decision to continue with the party-led government, we will oppose it,” said UML CC member Karna Bahadur Thapa.
Leaders attending the Parliamentary Party, Standing Committee and Politburo meetings have already asked the prime minister to step down and pave way for a unity government. However, the prime minister has been demanding discussion on this issue in the CC meeting. Thapa also said some central leaders, including himself, want to sack party’s Vice-Chairman Bam Dev Gautam after the meeting. They claim that Gautam had made a mistake by demanding the prime minister’s resignation while sympathising with the Maoists. “He must be suspended and we will firmly support his ouster,” Thapa said.
Gautam had forwarded a memorandum requesting prime minister to step down for national consensus government.
The memorandum, which included the names of 60 central leaders, was forwarded to Khanal via an email belonging to the UCPN (Maoist).
However, Yogesh Bhattarai, a central committee member, who is said to be close to Khanal, said they will not tolerate any action against Gautam. He said the meeting will in fact give a nod to the prime minister’s resignation and formation of a national consensus government.
Posted on: 2010-05-15 08:33
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