KATHMANDU, Dec 29: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that she authenticated the ordinance related to the election of the National Assembly for putting to an end the dispute between the political parties on the issue and the subsequent political deadlock.

The Head-of-the-State said this in a meeting with Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba at Shital Niwas today.

Bhesh Raj Adhikari, the President’s Chief Personal Secretary, said that during the meeting with the Prime Minister, the President expressed her confidence that the political gridlock would end with the authentication of the ordinance.

PM Deuba had gone to the Shital Niwas for a meeting with the President. On the occasion, they held discussions on the ordinance and the latest political situation.

President Bhandari authenticated the ordinance on election of the National Assembly today only. The ordinance which the government had presented to the President in the third week of November had remained pending at the President’s Office for long.

The election to the National Assembly could not proceed ahead in the absence of this ordinance. The Election Commission too was in difficulty to declare the full election result of the House of Representatives towards the proportional representation system due to this.

The constitution stipulates for an electoral college comprising the mayors and deputy mayors of the municipalities, the chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of rural municipalities under the local level and the State Assembly members for the election to the National Assembly.

President Bhandari had held separate talks with Prime Minister Deuba, CPN-UML chairman KP Oli, Maoist Center chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal  and the top leaders of the Rastriya Janata Party in a bid to facilitate political consensus among the parties on the ordinance. RSS

KATHMANDU, Dec 28: President Bidya Devi Bhandari and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday held discussion on various issues including the Ordinance related to National Assembly election and formation of a new government.

President Bhandari, who has been facing criticism of holding the National Assembly Election Ordinance from the government, has been consulting with various top leaders regarding the issue.

Nepali Congress led-government, who forwarded the Ordinance two months ago, has been pressuring the President to immediately approve the Ordinance whereas UML has objected that the government put the single transferable voting system for the National Assembly formation by disregarding the constitution. The Ordinance is awaiting approval from the President.

Due to the failure of the major political parties to forge consensus on this regard, the government formation process has been delayed.

KATHMANDU, Dec 24: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that consensus and collaboration was necessary among political parties for the formation of the National Assembly.

During a meeting with Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, Upendra Yadav, and Rajendra Shrestha at the office of the President, Sheetal Niwas, President Bhandari urged the political parties to forge consensus for National Assembly election in accordance with constitution and law.

“There is no alternative to parties to come together for National Assembly election”, the President said, according to Communication Expert at the Office of the President, Madhav Sharma.

No consensus has been forged among political the political parties regarding National Assembly Election ordinance.

Earlier on Friday, President Bhandari held discussion with top leaders of Nepali Congress including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

KATHMANDU, Dec 22: The meeting of five major political parties has ended inconclusively failing to reach understanding on the issue of National Assembly Election ordinance.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had called the meeting of the five parties– which will have representation in the House of Representatives as national parties–at his official residence in Baluwatar meeting today morning in a bid to resolve the row over the ordinance on the election to National Assembly.

During the meeting Prime Minister Deuba had suggested that the ordinance should be passed immediately. But the largest party CPN-UML Chair KP Oli had expressed reservation saying that it was not acceptable to the party (UML), said Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi. Oli also urged Deuba to clear path for the formation of a new government, according to Nidhi.

Rastriya Janata Party Nepal presidium member Manahta Thakur and Federal Socialist Forum Nepal’s Chairman Upendra Yadav had agreed on the ordinance sent by the government.

Meanwhile, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal stating that the parties should take the middle-path approach to resolve the current stalemate had suggested continuing discussions.

Deuba on Thursday had consulted with the top leaders of the party about the possible ways to end the current political impasse, and had concluded the deadlock to be constitutional, not political.

The government led by Nepali Congress has insisted that it would hand over the power to the left alliance only after the National Assembly Election Ordinance is passed. On the contrary, UML has accused NC of provisioning single transferable voting system for National Assembly formation by bypassing the parliamentary committee’s decision of multiple transferable votes—which UML has termed unconstitutional.

The ordinance is currently pending at the Office of President.

The dispute over the National Assembly Election Ordinance forwarded by the government to President has pinned deadlock halting the process of formation of a new government.

Prime Minister Deuba, UML Chair Oli, Maoist Center Chair Dahal, Presidium Coordinator of RJPN, Thakur, and Chairman of the FSFN, Yadav, among other leaders were present at the meeting.

KATHMANDU, Dec 21: Nepali Congress (NC) leader Dr Prakash Saran Mahat has said that the President Bidya Devi Bhandari should immediately approve the ordinance on the National Assembly Election arguing that holding the ordinance could create constitutional complexions.

Speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal in capital on Thursday, Mahat said, “Multiple transferable voting was proposed, only since it was an easier method.”

“CPN (Maoist center) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal has sought consensus among the parties over the ordinance but CPN-UML Chair Oli is not showing any flexibility,” he added.

“It is wrong that the UML is accusing NC of provisioning single transferable votes after seeing the result of local level elections.”

“President cannot hold the ordinance. She should immediately approve the ordinance,” he furthered adding, “The more the President holds the ordinance, the more constitutional complexities it creates.”

“We will step down only after electing National Assembly because NC cannot cross constitutional line,” he added.