President expresses concern over constitutional void and political stalemate

KATHMANDU: President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and CPN (UML) senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal held discussions on the current political stalemate and a way out of this. The discussions took place at the President’s residence, Sheetal Niwas today.

Leader Nepal who had met the UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on this very topic earlier today said that he met with the President for initiatives on a way out from the constitutional and political crises in the country as the President and they were also concerned over the crises.

Senior leader Nepal said that he shared the view with the President and the UCPN (Maoist) chairman that there was no alternative to consensus for breaking the stalemate but any consensus reached when the present government was still intact would not be acceptable to them.

“It has come in the public that the government is thinking of allocating ministries for holding new election. The motive to make the country astray by establishing an upper hand and lingering the crisis would not be allowed to be fulfilled,” he said.

The UML senior leader said that since the country was headed towards constitutional vacuum, the country should be run as per the spirit of the Articles of the constitution and that initiatives for consensus should be taken before the Tihar festivakl by holding serious dialogue from a new level.

Former Prime Minister Nepal suggested that discussions should be held on the legal ways and processes for reaching agreement in a package so that an environment of confidence would be built and election held within April 2013, provided that the present government paved the way for that.

He stated that they also discussed the problem related to the budget. He added that it was beyond imagination that ordinances on the full budget and appointments to the various posts on the constitutional bodies being introduced under this government when even one-third of the budget so far has not been passed.

Leader Nepal said that in the meeting the President expressed his wish that the political parties should hold discussions on ending the political deadlock at the earliest and also the concern that the country should not move towards further crisis. RSS