Kathmandu, May 4

Unified CPN-Maoist sought Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s views on its decision taken today to form a new government under its leadership but failed to get any clear response from the PM.

UCPN-M leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha, who went along with party Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal to meet the PM in the evening to inform the party’s decision to form a new government under party’s leadership, told THT that the PM did not clearly respond to his party’s decision.

Shrestha said the PM kept telling the UCPN-M leaders that he struggled against India all these months and now the UCPN-M was not extending support to his government.

Shrestha said they asked the PM about his views regarding the UCPN-M’s decision to form a new government under its leadership. “The PM did not give clear answer to our question. He said he would respond to our question tomorrow,” Shrestha said.

He said his party was trying to form a new government under its leadership mainly for three reasons: the current government’s role was not positive while addressing the issues related to the peace process; the government did not make sincere efforts to seek negotiated settlement of Madhes movement and accelerate the pace of reconstruction.

Shrestha said the PM had no power to dissolve the Parliament and hold new general elections.

The PM is expected to resign tomorrow following an address to the nation.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the ruling parties held at Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s official residence in Baluwatar in the evening, which was not attended by the Unified CPN-Maoist, decided to keep the current coalition intact and urge the UCPN-M to reconsider its decision.

The ruling parties also decided to urge Dahal, who heads a High-Level Political Coordination Committee to call the panel’s meeting to discuss the new political situation, said Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s Press Adviser Pramod Dahal.

When asked if the UCPN-M boycotted today’s meeting of the ruling parties, UCPN-M Standing Committee member Gopal Kirati said the party leaders could not attend the ruling parties’ meeting because the meeting of the UCPN-M Standing Committee was prolonged in the evening.

UCPN-M Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other senior leaders of the party, however, met PM Oli again in the evening after the ruling parties’ meeting was over, according to Dahal.