Kathmandu, December 22

An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba ended inconclusively as parties stuck to their stances on the National Assembly Election Ordinance.

Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi, who attended the meeting, said the NC, the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal supported the ordinance sent to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari for endorsement. According to Nidhi, CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli said the ordinance was unconstitutional and the government should withdraw it.

PM Deuba urged all five parties that attended the meeting to support the ordinance, saying if it was not endorsed by the president, the National Assembly election would not be held and the formation of the House of Representatives would not be completed. “I want you all to help end deadlock on the ordinance. I want to be relieved from the PM’s post as soon as possible,” Nidhi quoted PM Deuba as telling the leaders.

According to Nidhi, CPN-MC Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal said during the meeting that he believed a new government could be formed even before the formation of the Upper House of the Parliament, but since parties were divided on the issue, finding a middle path would be better.

Nidhi said since the president had no executive power under the constitution, she had to endorse the ordinance sent by the government. “A law is never passed with the consent of all the parties. A law is always passed by majority votes and since the government commands majority, it helps enact laws. In this case, the government has used its law making powers,” Nidhi said. He added that a new prime minister could be elected by the House of Representatives only when the National Assembly elections were held and 110 members were elected to the Lower House of the Parliament under proportional representative electoral system.

CPN- MC leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the left alliance leaders told the PM that single transferable voting system could not be applied, as the electorate of the National Assembly needed to elect one Dalit candidate and one differently-abled candidate. He said the left alliance leaders also told the PM that they could have supported the

ordinance had the government helped pass the original National Assembly Election Bill that the Election Commission had sent to the government and the Cabinet had okayed.

Another left alliance leader told THT that if the government sent another ordinance after forging consensus with political parties that could help end the deadlock over the ordinance.

READ ALSO:

• Five major parties' Baluwatar meet inconclusive