Kathmandu, October 4

Political scientists and constitutional experts said the ruling coalition partner CPN-Maoist Centre now faced a question of political morality after forging electoral alliance with the CPN-UML.

Political scientists Prof Lok Raj Baral, Kapil Shrestha and Senior Advocate Bipin Adhikari said it was morally wrong on the part of the CPN-MC to remain a partner in the NC-led government and enter electoral alliance with the UML.

“Question of political morality has risen for CPN-MC as it remains a coalition partner in the Deuba-led government and has also forged alliance with the main opposition party CPN-UML,” said  Prof Lokraj Baral. He said the question of political morality has not risen for Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba as the CPN-MC continues to say it has not withdrawn support to the government. “The PM is not morally bound to resign,” he added.

Prof Kapil Shrestha said, “It is the CPN-MC that faces question of political morality. On the one hand, it is a partner in the NC-led government and on the other, it has entered alliance with the opposition,” he said, adding that the government is now a caretaker government whose job is to hold elections.

Senior advocate Adhikari said Deuba could face the question of legitimacy only if a government-brought bill failed in the House or if a motion was moved demanding that the government prove its majority. “CPN-MC faces the question of political morality as it has put its feet in two boats,” Adhikari said.

Columnist Jhalak Subedi said neither the CPN-MC had withdrawn support to the government nor had opposition parties sought the prime minister’s resignation. He said the CPN-MC should have either forged alliance after withdrawing support or withdrawn support after forging alliance with the UML and NSP-N.

Prof Krishna Khanal said, “In the past, parties formed post-poll alliance, now they are forging pre-poll alliance, which the current electoral system demands.”

Senior Advocate Chandra Kanta Gyawali said the CPN-MC-UML alliance had reduced Deuba’s government to minority status. CPN-MC’s decision is equal to withdrawing support to Deuba’s government, therefore, Deuba should resign and the House should elect a new PM.

“If Deuba does not want to resign, he should dissolve the Parliament and tender his resignation to the president,” Gyawali said.

This House will be automatically dissolved on October 21 and the government will then be a caretaker dispensation. Therefore, the most preferred option for Deuba would be to dissolve the House and tender his resignation,” he said and added that Deuba could remain caretaker prime minister if he dissolved the House and tendered his resignation.

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