Kathmandu, May 19:

Senior Maoist leader Mohan Baidya said today that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala should step down and invite his party to lead the new government.

“It is undemocratic on the part of PM Koirala, whose party did not get the mandate to form the next government, express desire to remain in power till a new constitution is framed,” Baidya said at an interaction organised by the Himalayan Press Club.

He said his party will form a consensus government once the PM formally invites the party to form a post-election government. He said conditions set by the Nepali Congress for supporting

the Maoist-led government were inappropriate.

Baidya said the murder of businessman Ramhari Shrestha at the Maoist’s hand was unfortunate and the incident had tarnished the party’s image.

Pradip Gyawali of the CPN-UML said the first meeting of the CA scheduled for May 28 will implement the republican agenda as major parties had made a pledge to this effect in the interim constitution.

On the formation of a post-election government, Gyawali said as the single largest party in the CA, the Maoists should be allowed to form the government on the basis of a consensus.

“But their statements indicate that they are rooting for confrontation with other parties,” he said. Certain clauses of the interim constitution must be amended if the Maoists were sincere to form a government of consensus, he said.

Leader of the Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Hridayesh Tripathi said the Maoists have the right to form the next government according to the people’s mandate. “But an agreement must be reached on a package to amend the constitution.”

“Names of constituents of the Seven-Party Alliance must be removed from the interim constitution, there must be a constitutional provision of forming and removing the government

with a simple majority.

A provision to have a head of state should be inserted in the constitution after the abolition of monarchy,”

Tripathi said. He said that the Maoists and other parties must overcome the “psyche of mutual

fear” before a post-election government is formed.

He said the remaining 26 seats in the CA must be filled from among the people who have maintained neutrality, impartiality and clean image and who have gained expertise in their fields. He said census should be conducted before the state is federalised.