Kathmandu, May 30

Chances of forming a national consensus government look slim, as the two major parties — the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML have differences on who should lead such a government.

A seven-day deadline given by the president to political parties to elect a consensus government ends tomorrow.

The main opposition party, CPN-UML, boycotted an all-party meeting called by Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba to discuss formation of a national consensus government.

UML Chief Whip Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal told THT that his party boycotted the meeting mainly because the invite that Deuba sent to his party stated that the meeting would discuss formation of a national consensus government under the NC leadership.

“We are positive about forming a national consensus government but no party should stake claim to the leadership first,” he said.

According to a press release issued by the Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party, most representatives of the parties, including those of the CPN-Maoist Centre, stated that they were ready to help form a consensus government under NC’s leadership.

The release added that a consensus government was needed to implement the constitution, broaden its acceptance and to resolve other burning issues facing the country.

Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal leader Laxman Lal Karna said he told the NC president that the RJP-N would not support the NC’s bid to form a consensus government unless the government implemented the three-point agreement that the ruling NC, CPN-MC and the Federal Alliance had signed last year.

Karna said the coalition government of the NC and the CPN-MC did not do anything substantial to implement the three-point agreement.

Rastriya Parviar Dal Chief Eknath Dhakal said he told the NC president that his party wanted first to know whether or not the NC would be ready to form consensus government under other parties’ leadership and what would be the agenda if the NC formed a consensus government under its leadership.

According Dhakal, some representatives of parties objected to the phrase — ‘a new consensus government under NC leadership’ — in the invite sent by the NC for today’s all-party meeting.

According to Dhakal, Deuba said in the meeting that since NC was the largest party in the Parliament it was natural for it to seek formation of a national consensus government under its leadership. Deuba told the participants that he would try again to talk to UML leaders tomorrow about forming a consensus government.

If the parties fail to form a consensus government, the president could ask the Parliament to initiate the process of electing a majoritarian government.