Government formation only after President is elected: Pokhrel

Congress and UML coalition government to be formed

Kathmandu,(Rudra Bahadur Karki): CPN UML’s Secretary Shankar Pokharel has said that the process to form the new consensus government will start only after Constituent Assembly elects new President and Vice President.

“The new constitution wont be promulgated by the incumbent President and Vice President. So its better to elect the new President, Vice President and Chairman of the CA before forming the government,” Pokhrel said while speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters Club Nepal on Monday in the capital.

The first meeting of the CA slated for Magh 8 will also endorse bills for making necessary amendments in the interim constitution, , Pokhrel said at the program president by the Reporters’ Club Nepal President Rishi Dhamala.

He clarified that UML will join only participate in the Congress lead government if the latter’s proposal on power sharing and sharing of constitutional position suits UML’s demand.

Regarding the nominations of 26 CA members to be recommended by the cabinet, Pokhrel said these recommendations should incorporate specialists from various sectors, and representative from indigenous groups who lack representation in the CA.

Commenting on his party’s preparation for holding its General Convention in Baisakh 11 in Kathmandu, Pokhrel said that senior leaders of the  party were presently in discussion to nominate Chairman of the party through consensus.

Speaking at the same program UCPN-Maoist Leader Devendra Poudel said that the NC and CPN UML are mainly responsible to form the new government and ruled out his party’s participation in the government.

However, Poudel maintained that even in opposition his party would play a constructive role in constitution drafting while supporting the government.

“We will support NC and UML in the formation of government and even while in opposition we will support it because it will be mainly responsible to promulgate the new constitution.”

Poudel stressed on the need to move ahead on the basis of consensus principle in forming new government and in drafting the new constitution, as practiced by the earlier constitution.

Refering to his party’s internal issues, Poudel said that the party will elect a new chairman if the incumbent one does not abides to party’s ideology and road map. However, he ruled out that Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai was interested in becoming parliamentary party leader.

Speaking on the same occasion, Nepali Congress leader Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat said that party’s Prime Ministerial candidate and other candidates for participating in the government should be selected through consensus among senior leaders. He said that the party should elect its parliamentary party leader through process outlined in the manifesto if top guns fail to strike a deal in consensus.

Stating that issue of Prime Ministerial candidate should not be the core concern while stating that the party should strike a package deal on Prime Ministerial, party president, parliamentary party leader and acting president of the party.

Mahat said that his party’s parliamentary party leader will be selected before the Magh 8—the first day of CA meet.

He expressed confidence that the new government will be formed in participation of the CPN UML and the UCPN Maoist.

He accused CPN UML of delaying the government formation process by using the President’s post as bargain chip to support NC led government.