KATHMANDU: Chairman of CPN UML Jhalnath Khanal has asserted that forging consensus among political parties on all outstanding issues for holding Constituent Assembly elections is not possible.

Khanal’s, who is also the Chairman of the High Level Steering Committee, statement comes at a time when some political parties including the CPN Maoist, have denied to take part in the purported CA elections in November later this year.

Speaking to journalists delegation led by Reporters Club Nepal’s president Rishi Dhamala at his own residence in the capital on Saturday morning, Khanal hinted at moving ahead with plans to hold CA elections even if the CPN Maoist and other dissenting parties don’t participate in the elections.

” Complete consensus in diverse multi-party settings, where every political party has different ideology, is not possible,” Khanal said adding that in such a context “understanding reached between political parties with majority of the vote bank should be taken as national consensus.”

Reiterating that CA elections was the only way out to end ongoing political transition in the nation, Khanal however expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s performance towards making preparations for the elections.
” The government seems to be skidding away from its sole objective of holding CA elections and we are holding talks with the Chairman of the Interim Election Council on Sunday,” Khanal said while expressing optimism that the meeting will help in fostering mutual understanding between political parties and the government. He however denied to comment on the government’s efforts to hold CA elections stating that it was too early to comment on the issue.

He informed that the government will announce the date for CA elections as soon as the four major political parties reach consensus on all outstanding issues and added that a date from the government could be expected within some days.

Khanal said that consensus and cooperation between four major parties is imperative for holding CA elections while accusing the UCPN Maoist and the Madheshi Morcha of time and again deviating from past understandings and agreements.

On the occasion Khanal ruled out the possibility of scraping the 11-point and 25-point understanding reached between political parties while stressing on the need to make the high level political mechanism more comprehensive.

On the occasion, Club’s president Rishi Dhamala elaborated on the initiative to call on political parties and stakeholders to forge consensus and hold CA elections while handing over similar memorandum to Khanal. He urged political parties to move ahead by bringing all political parties into confidence and hold CA elections in a conducive environment.

KATHMANDU: CPN UML Chairman Jhalnath Khanal has claimed that his party only has the credentials and capacity to tackle capitalist and radical forces in the nation.

Speaking at a program in the capital on Sunday, Khanal stated that erstwhile Constituent Assembly could not draft the constitution because the UCPN Maoist dominated the majority.

He warned that the upcoming CA won’t also be able to draft the constitution if the Maoists were favored by the public.

Khanal opined that only ensuring majority to the CPN UML in the forthcoming elections will ensure the drafting of the new constitution.

On the occasion, Khanal defended the formation of Chief Justice led government and informed that preparations to hold CA elections by June were afoot.

He said that the date for the CA elections will be announced as soon as the new officials at the Election Commission take over their responsibilities.
He called on his party cadres and members to launch election campaign across the nation and to garner support for the party’s candidates in the upcoming CA elections.

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s lead politician from the Opposition camp have boycotted the ongoing seventh general convention of the ruling UCPN Maoist.

Senior leaders of major political parties- Nepali Congress and CPN UML – denied to participate in athe opening session of the UCPN Maoist which presently claims to be the largest party in the nation.

Leaders of both parties have excused themselves from the general convention citing prior engagement in party’s internal affairs and launching of anti-government agitating across the nation.

NC President Sushil Koirala has been in the mid -western region of the nation in launching anti-government agitation in the hilly and terai districts. He is slated to address a mass gathering of all opposition parties in Surkhet today.

Similarly, CPN UML Chairman Jhalnath Khanal is heading for Eastern region of the nation on Saturday to address similar mass gatherings in that region.

He is scheduled a mass gathering in Biratnagar on Saturday.

Despite confrontation between ideologies, political parties parties participate in each others general conventions as invitees.

However Nepal’s lead politician broke away from this political diplomacy citing necessity to launch agitation against the government led by the UCPN Maoist itself.