KATHMANDU: Caretaker Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ did not address the legislature-parliament as planned on Thursday due to differences among political parties over the Sankalpa Prastav (parliamentary stricture), registered by the Unified CPN-Maoist yesterday, regarding the President’s overruling the government’s decision to sack Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal.

The Maoists wanted to discuss the stricture in the full House of parliament. But other parties insisted that it could not be done since the case is sub-judice in the Supreme Court.

According to an understanding reached among the parties yesterday, PM Prachanda was scheduled to address the House today and resume the stalled business of parliament, to pave the way for electing the new Prime Minister. Prachanda

had resigned on May 3, protesting President Dr Ram Baran Yadav’s act of revoking the government decision on General Katawal.

An evening meeting of Parliamentary Work Management Advisory Committee (PWMAC) decided that the caretaker PM would address the House tomorrow afternoon, followed by the Speaker’s announcement of the PM’s election procedure.

Narayan Kaji Shrestha, deputy parliamentary party leader, UCPN-Maoist, said election for the new PM would be held on Saturday afternoon.

He said no understanding could be reached today regarding the parliamentary stricture.

“That’s why the PM did not address the House and election procedure for the new government could not be finalised today,” said Shrestha .

Other party leaders maintained that Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang should take the final decision on the Sankalpa Prastav as there was a week’s time to think it over.

The Maoists favour a discussion in the PWMAC before Prachanda’s address to the House and the formation of a new

government.

Following the PWMAC meeting, Nembang distributed copies of the stricture to all 49 committee members for their consideration. Shrestha said that the discussion of the Maoist motion at the advisory committee and the election process in the House would take place simultaneously.

According to parliamentary regulations, it takes a week for a stricture to mature.

Thursday’s session of the House was put off with a notice.

MJF decides to join Nepal’s govt

Kathmandu: The Central Committee (CC) meeting of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) on Thursday decided to join the new government to be led by veteran CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.

The decision has saved the party from an imminent split. MJF chairman Upendra Yadav said the CC unanimously took the decision as the CPN-UML had expressed its commitment to implement the eight-point pact reached between the then government and the United Madhes Democratic Front on 28 February 2008. However, the two factions — one led by Yadav and the other by Parliamentary Party leader Bijay Kumar Gacchadar — are still at loggerheads over who would lead the new government.