Parties begin intra-party talks

Kantipur Report
KATHMANDU, April 28 - The major political parties have stepped up intra-party talks to review the electoral outcome and to decide future strategies following the announcement of the Constituent Assembly (CA) election results. The parties’ central committee meetings will be choosing party representatives under the proportional representation electoral system in the CA. Today, the Nepali Congress Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting resumed at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Baluwatar. The party’s role in the next government and the party’s agendas during the making of a new constitution were key issues duscussed. Speaking at today’s meeting, NC central members remarked that the party was beaten in the CA polls due to weak leadership and Maoist excesses.

The NC leaders maintained their stance that the next government cannot be formed under the leadership of the Maoists, who emerged as the largest party in the CA winning 240 seats out of 575 seats- it failed to secure a majority of two-thirds in the 601-membered CA. However, the NC leaders opined that the party should be prepared for a political consensus with the other parties. Emerging from the meeting, NC central member Dilendra Prasad Badu said, “The NC is prepared to work in alliance with other political parties and will not abandon political consensus,” adding, “NC’s main objective is to establish a republican Nepal and we urge everyone to concentrate on the same.”

Similarly, the CPN-UML central meeting continued today at the party’s central office in Balkhu. Today’s meeting decided to ask PM Koirala to accept the resignation tendered by its ministers of the interim government. The UML standing committee had asked the ministers representing the party in the cabinet to tender their resignations after the party’s humiliating loss in the April 10 polls. PM Koirala had requested the UML ministers to carry out their ministerial responsibilities after the en-masse resignation. However, today’s meeting decided to stand by the standing committee’s decision to withdraw the ministers from the cabinet. The meeting also discussed the political report prepared by the party Acting General Secretary Amrit Bohara, UML sources said. Sunday’s UML meeting had accepted the resignation tabled by Madhav Kumar Nepal from the post of party General Secretary. Nepal had resigned on moral grounds following the party’s humiliating defeat in the CA polls.

Meanwhile, the central committee meeting of the CPN-Maoists kicked off at party Chairman Prachanda’s residence Nayabazaar this afternoon. Among other issues, the committee discussed the formation of the next government, relief programmes, selection of the party’s representatives from the closed-list in the CA under the proportional representation system and the implementation of a republic. Central committee members submitted organizational details from their respective regions while Chairman Prachanda submitted political reports during today’s meeting.

The Maoist meet will decide the model for the party’s participation in the new government after reviewing the electoral results, according to leader Posta Bahadur Bogati alias Diwakar. Diwakar informed that the first CA meeting, the future of the monarchy and the party’s role in drafting a new constitution are other key issues for the committee.
Posted on: 2008-04-28 00:16:29 (Server Time)