KATHMANDU: The top leaders of Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist on Friday decided not to withdraw the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. A joint meeting of Nepali Congress-Maoist alliance and the Madhesi parties concluded that Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel's proposal for the withdrawal of no-confidence motion and the prime minister's resignation cannot not accepted. Paudel had filed the proposal at the Parliament yesterday as a midway to resolve the current stalemate. According to Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi, the parties would not further ask for the Prime Minister's resignation and push for the no-confidence vote now. The meeting was held at the Nepali Congress's Parliamentary Party office in Singha Durbar premises. Prime Minister Oli and his party CPN-UML had been arguing that the no-confidence vote and the demand for resignation did not get along. CPN-UML has already expressed its readiness to face the NC-Maoist challenge in the Parliament. Paudel on Thursday had brought a four-point middle-path proposal to resolve the crisis in a package. According to him, the budget-related bills should be passed first, followed by Oli’s resignation, withdrawal of the no-trust motion and election of a new PM in a smooth way and supporting each other in constitution-implementation after the formation of a new government. The Parliament meeting scheduled for Thursday could not take place and postponed for today after the major parties did not budge from their respective stances. The Nepali Congress and the CPN Maoist Centre have been demanding that the House should discuss a no-trust motion filed against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli before the budget-related bills are endorsed. While the CPN-UML has been insisting that the House should allow a debate on the three budget-related bills before the discussion over the no-trust motion takes place. READ ALSO

• House meet put off till afternoon