Prachanda forwards 4 PM candidates, turns down Nepali Congress claim
News Commentary: Chairman of Unified Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist, Puspa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Monday forwarded four alternative candidates from his and his coalition parties to lead the national consensus government.
The former rebel chief continued to dominate Nepal’s political milieu with these latest four options that in essence fail to come up with fresh materials at all. However, they are still the only options which a senior leader has brought after President Ram Baran Yadav called parties to form consensus government.
In the first option, Prachanda has stressed on forming the new consensus government under the present leadership- that is Baburam Bhattarai.
Secondly, Prachanda proposed to form the national consensus government in the leadership of his deputy Narayan Kaji Shrestha.
After candidate from his own party, Prachanda has proposed third and fourth alternatives from his party’s present alliance partner- the Madheshi morcha.
He has proposed Bijay Kumar Gachhadar as his party’s third alternative and Mahant Thakur as the fourth and ultimate candidate for leading the national consensus government.
Responding to media queries related to Prachanda’s commitment to provide government leadership to Nepali Congress as agreed in the five point agreement, he said that his party would mull on forming the government in NC’s leadership if the latter comes up with its concept on core issues of the constitution.
” We are not dismissive about their claims on consensus government leadership, but it is not justifiable for the Maoist if they don’t get constitution as well as government,” Prachanda said pointing to the lack of clear stance of Nepali Congress on drafting the constitution.
Responding to the recently escalated debate on the President’s call for forming national consensus government, Prachanda said that President’s statement sharply deviated from what they both had discussed to announce.
” I was expecting a political summon, but the President issued a legal one bound with legal codes,” Prachanda said responding to the nature of the president’s call adding that ” it was against the spirit of the interim constitution”.