Nepal’s President calls party to focus on holding elections

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s President Dr Ram Baran Yadav in a bold move asked political leaders to drop CA resurrection talks and concentrate their efforts on holding elections.

The President, whose constitutional authorities to issues such advisories have been debated among political parties, made such request to Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and CPN UML Chairman Jhalnath Khanal.

Both opposition leaders, who for some time have been debating UCPN Maoist Chairman Prachanda’s proposal to resurrect CA, were called by the President to hold talks on the issue at his own residence on Sunday morning.

“The President expressed concern about the deepening constitutional crisis and the impending financial crisis and urged parties to concentrate on consensus building so as to resolve impasse,” Khanal told journalists while exiting the meet.

The president has also advised political parties to resolve contentions surrounding CA resurrection and elections by keeping CA elections at the center and prepare uniform concept on the way ahead.

During the talks, Koirala is reported to have informed the President that his party was in favour of CA elections and said that the upcoming central committee meeting of the party will endorse the decision formally, sources inside the Presidential palace informed.

Koirala also accused the UCPN Maoist of hindering the process of consensus building by coming up with irrational and illogical ideas, the source further reported.

Khanal also supported Koirala’s accusations and claimed that the consensus building was possible through change of guard of the government. While stating that his party was not in favour of CA resurrection, Khanal also ruled out the possibility to participate in elections under the leadership of present government.

On Saturday, the President had conferred with CPN UML senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal on the same issue and prior to that he had held consultations with Prachanda too.