President facilitated lead party talks end up in fiasco

KATHMANDU: Much anticipated talks between Nepal’s major political parties on Monday evening failed to make headway in resolving status quo over consensus government formation.

The four hour talks cum Presidential dinner presided by President Ram Baran Yadav himself at the patters place remained inconclusive after opposition parties- Nepali Congress and CPN UML- denied putting a single person in charge of the judiciary and the government.

UCPN Maoist and its ruling allies, including the Madheshi Morcha, had stood in favour of forming consensus government in the leadership of incumbent Chief Justice Khila Raj Regmi.

However, both NC and UML, maintained that state power distribution principle does not allow handing over both state mechanisms to a sole persons and pointed towards the need of finding another independent and apolitical persona to lead the consensus government.

Sources informed that the despite oppositions denial to accept CJ as prime minister for consensus government, UCPN Maoist supremo Prachanda had stressed on forming government in Regmi’ leadership by giving him limited power to hold CA elections.
PM Baburam Bhattarai is reported to have denied to step down if opposition does not agrees to form the consensus government in CJ’sleadership. However while exiting the talks, Bhattarai said that the talks were heading towards positive direction and expressed hope to resolve the issue in next meeting slated for Tuesday evening.

NC President Sushil Koirala however denied to comment on the developments of the meeting and looked extremely dejected and frustrated.