President in consultation with parties on formation of consensus government

KATHMANDU, May 31: President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Wednesday has held consultations with political parties to acquire information regarding the formation of a consensus government.

In course of the all-party meeting that she called for the consultations, the President urged the political parties to utilize the day today since it is the last day for constituting the consensus government, the President’s chief personal secretary Bhesh Raj Adhikari said.

“Form a consensus government taking into consideration the situation of the country; Make the most of the day today, the deadline for the formation of consensus government. The majority process (of government formation) starts from tomorrow if a government of national consensus was not formed,” Adhikari, quoted the President as saying in the meeting.

The party leaders on the occasion said that they would put in maximum efforts until tonight for the formation of a national consensus government.

Present in the all-party meeting held at the Office of the President at Shital Niwas were CPN (Maoist Centre) chairman Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Nepali Congress president She Bahadur Deuba, CPN (UML) chairman KP Sharma Oli, Maoist Centre leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and president of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Kamal Thapa.

Also present were Rastriya Janata Party Nepal leader Rajendra Mahato, chairman of the Nepal Loktantrik Forum, Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party leader Sunil Prajapati, Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum leader Rajendra Shrestha and chairman of the Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal, Chitra Bahadur KC.

President Bhandari had earlier called on the political parties to form a consensus government as per Article 298 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal within seven days after Prime Minister Dahal resigned from his post on May 24.

There is a constitutional provision which states that the Parliament shall start the process of formation of a majority government as per the Article 298 (3) of the constitution if a consensus government could not be formed within the stipulated time. RSS