Kathmandu, May 18:

Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said today that the Constituent Assembly election had produced only a split mandate and the Maoists needed to seek support of all the stakeholders to form the next government. Otherwise, they should muster backing of two-third Constituent Assembly members.

“Given the status of the parties in the CA, there is no alternative to consensus. Maoists cannot impose their unitary agenda,” he said in an interaction organised here today.

Dr Mahat said the Nepali Congress wanted Maoists to follow the supremacy of the constitution

and they should either forge consensus or muster two-third majority to form a new government.

“Let it be loud and clear, the NC does not want to stick to power. It is wrong to say the NC is not leaving power on the advice of Western powers,” he said.

NC’s seven-point conditions were designed make the Maoists follow the democratic norms, guarantee the politics of competition and press freedom, he further said.

“But the Maoists’ excesses have not ceased even after the CA election,” Dr Mahat said.

Suggesting that the present constitution is different from the previous one, the Minister said:

“Without simple majority in the Constituent Assembly the Maoists can’t run the government, as they can’t garner needed support in the parliament on its policies and agendas and programmes.”

He reiterated the Nepali Congress’ stance that the amendment to the constitution was necessary also to remove the names of the seven parties from the constitution and to have a provision for the new head of the state after the abolition of the monarchy.

“Anybody, either from within the Constituent Assembly or outside of it could be the president,”

he said.

Responding to a journalist’s query, he said: “Discussions are on to include the representatives of left out groups in the CA through nomination from the 26 seats alloted for the Cabinet to nominate.”