Nepal’s opposition and ruling parties debate President’s step

KATHMANDU: A day after Nepal’s President Dr Ram Baran Yadav endorsed the budget ordinance, ruling and political parties started debating the move.

Till Tuesday, the ruling allies were slamming the President for not cooperating and the opposition parties were praising the President, but on Wednesday the scenario turned upside down.

During a press interaction program organized by the Reporters Club Nepal in Kathmandu on Wednesday, ruling party leaders termed the President’s move as a ‘decision taken by the guardian to secure the interest of all Nepalese”.

And contrary to it, leaders from opposition party camp termed it to be ‘unfortunate and unprecedented move” that has ‘shocked them”.

Speaking at the program, CPN UML leader Pradeep Gyanwali accused the President of taking an contradictory decision arguing that the decision taken in the evening was contrary to his urge for bringing the budget through consensus during daytime.

” President’s request and his action taken in evening yesterday do not match,” Gyanwali said adding, ” we don’t know why the President took such action, but it surely has surprised and saddened us.”

” We hope to find an answer to this from the President in the days ahead,” Gyanwali added claiming that the unilateral preparation of the budget and announcement of CA elections by the government had intensified political struggle between the ruling and opposition parties .

Endorsing Gyanwali’s statements, Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat stated that the President should have consulted political parties before endorsing the budget ordinance. Mahat opined that not discussing the issue with parties, was a grave mistake on the President’s part.

He however appreciated the President’s cooperation in hindering the Maoist-led government to bring a full fledged budget. Mahat said that though the budget was necessary for keeping the national economy floating, he argued that it should have been brought in consultation with the opposition parties too.

Stating that the government had closed doors for consensus talks, Mahat said that there is no other alternative than to launch stern agitation to form a national consensus government.

He opined that the President too should support the opposition parties to resolve ongoing status quo by fixing a definite deadline to form national consensus government.

However, UCPN Maoist leader Agni Sapkota praised the President’s step by terming it as an rational decision for the welfare of 3 billion Nepalese people. He said that the President had averted an untoward situation by endorsing the budget at a critical juncture.

Stating that the budget was brought under compulsion by the government, Sapkota said that the President’s cooperation had foiled the opposition parties’ conspiracy to capture state power by using budget as a bargaining chip.

On the occasion, Sapkota ruled out the dissolution of incumbent government unless political parties resolved all outstanding issues in a package.