UML seeks unity govt till polls

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal today urged all political parties to form a national consensus government to tackle the post-Constituent Assembly scenario, which has created “constitutional, legal and political vacuum”.

“Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has no constitutional, legal and political right to remain in office after letting the CA dissolve itself without promulgating the new constitution,” Khanal said at a press conference held in Balkhu.

Khanal said a national consensus government of major political parties in the defunct CA could manage the political crisis and public administration as well as tackle public and national security challenges.

Speaking at a press conference, UML standing committee member K P Sharma Oli said they did not need to demand PM Bhattarai’s resignation as he had already been reduced to a caretaker status. “Once a unity government is formed he will be replaced automatically.”

The UML leadership blamed the UCPN-Maoist for the untimely demise of the CA despite the fact that there were many options still left to give it continuity.

“The new constitution could not be adopted as the UCPN-Maoist advocated carving out federal units on a single identity in the hills and mountains whereas it put forth the idea of carving out federal units on unitary basis in the Tarai, where half the total population lives, ignoring the region’s linguistic, cultural and ethnic diversity,” a UML statement said.

It said the party had proposed adopting the new constitution integrating all agreed constitutional issues, and leaving the unsettled ones to the transitional parliament to decide on.

“But the Maoists turned a deaf ear to our proposal and opted to let the CA dissolve itself simply to fulfil its agenda,” the statement said, adding that there should have been political consensus before announcing the date for fresh CA election.

The UML said the Maoists wanted to fulfil agenda that could not be achieved “through guns, when Pushpa Kamal Dahal was at the helm or even through urban revolt.”

“The date (November 22) for the next CA election has been announced not to hold it, but to prolong the Maoists’ arbitrary rule,” the statement said. UML has also called upon all democratic and forward-looking forces to unite to tackle the post-CA situation, created by the Maoists.

Refuting allegations that UML was anti-federalist, the statement said the federal units must be built reflecting “common identity” of the given regions, allaying fears of communal disharmony and confrontation.