Will three-party unity remain intact while sharing power?

Kathmandu, September 23

President Ram Baran Yadav should call the session of parliament within the next four days and the parliament should elect the new prime minister within one week, the new Speaker within 20 days and the new president and vice-president within one month after the session begins, according to transitional provisions of the new constitution.

However, the three major political parties have not yet begun negotiations between for sharing power although their factions have begun internal lobbying.

As of today, CPN-UML will most likely lead the government with the support of both NC and UCPN-M and the NC and UCPN-M will get the posts of president and Speaker respectively giving continuity to three-party unity in power sharing as well.

However, it will all depend upon how the NC and UCPN-M will act and what moves the three parties will take to deal with the agitating parties and other external and internal forces. The situation will be clear only after the process of forming the new government begins, according to sources in the three parties.

The second largest party CPN-UML has claimed leadership of the new government stating that there was a gentlemen’s agreement between the NC and UML while forming the Sushil Koirala-led government. However, although it is certain that Koirala will have to resign in the next ten days, as per the new constitution, the NC is now silent about power sharing.

The NC now has four options — supporting the CPN-UML-led government, attempting to lead the government again with the support of Unified CPN-Maoist, supporting the UCPN-M to lead the government and remaining in the opposition by letting the UML and UCPN-M form the government.

Most probably, the NC will go for the first option. However, the picture will be clear only after Koirala resigns and the process of government formation begins.

Senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba-led faction of the NC is pleading that the NC should lead the new government or remain in opposition. The Koirala camp, however, has not decided about it although it is more likely to let UML lead the government as per the previous gentlemen’s agreement, according to camp insiders.

Although UCPN-M has said that it will join the government it has not yet made its strategy clear. “The UCPN-M wants the unity among the three major parties to remain intact to institutionalise the achievements made by way of the new constitution and thus there should be a unity government of at least the major political forces. However, we will discuss the power sharing issue at our Central Committee meeting to begin on September 27,” said UCPN-M spokesperson Dinanath Sharma.

UML spokesperson Pradip Gyanwali said there might not be any obstacle in forming the UML-led government as per the gentlemen’s agreement between the NC and UML.