NC in no hurry to form or join govt: Deuba

Kathmandu, March 15

Newly-elected president of the Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba today said the party’s priority would be to resolve the national problems, including boundaries of federal units, and not joining or forming the government.

Talking to a delegation of the Nepal Press Union at his residence in Budhanilakantha, Deuba, according to NPU president Badri Sigdel, said, “The NC’s priority is to implement the new constitution and resolve the national problems. We want to become a strong opposition and we are in the opposition to implement the new constitution in a democratic way.”

Deuba said there was no need of national unity government at present, as forming unity government of major parties could make the government ‘autocratic’.

He urged those inviting the Congress to join the government to justify NC’s participation in the same government.

Deuba said NC would work to strengthen the party’s internal organisation. He said he would soon nominate Ramchandra Paudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula as Central Working Committee members.

He said he would also nominate Chitra Lekha Yadav, Arjun Narsingh KC and Gagan Thapa, who lost NC polls, as CWC members.

He can nominate 21 CWC members and the new CWC should endorse the names of the nominees.

In a different context, Deuba said appointing a person who was a member of Parliament from a political party as Supreme Court judge would set a wrong precedent.

“Once we appoint an MP as judge, a former government minister may also stake claim for becoming a judge,” he said. Stating that there should be no conflict between the legislature and judiciary, Deuba said, “Those who recommended a person who was MP under proportional representation should think whether such a move respects independence of judiciary. The person who was recommended should also think about it.”

Apparently, Deuba was referring to Sapana Pradhan Malla, who represented CPN-UML in CA but he hastened to add that Malla, who has been recommended as SC justice, was a good and capable lawyer.

Deuba said that he recommended Bharat Bhurtel as the member of nine-member commission formed by the government yesterday to determine the boundaries of special protected areas, autonomous zones, VDCs and municipalities by holding consultations with NC leader Ramchandra Paudel.

Meanwhile, NC’s Election Committee would distribute certificates to all 64 office bearers and CWC members elected from the 13th NGC at a function at 4 pm tomorrow.

‘Nepal wants to benefit from India’s development’

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba said Nepal wanted to benefit from India’s development and also wanted to advance the relationship with India.

In a meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar at his residence in Budhanilakantha, Deuba, according to his aides, said he wanted to harness the traditional relationship with India and advance it for mutual benefit.

The United Nations’ interim head of office in Kathmandu Maarten Halff and Germany’s Ambassador to Nepal, Matthila Meyer, also met Deuba at his residence on Tuesday and congratulated getting elected as the party president.

British Ambassador Richard Morri met Deuba on Monday to congratulate him.