KATHMANDU, Nov 13: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML did not want to join Baburam Bhattarai-led government even as he pledged NC the Home Ministry and UML the Finance Ministry.
Addressing an interaction organized by Joint Trade Union Coordination Committee on Resolution of Political Impasse and Trade Union Rights, Dahal revealed that his party had offered NC Home Ministry, the UML Finance Ministry and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) Defense ministry in portfolio sharing.
Dahal argued that the Maoists had to look for other alternative as the NC and UML did not want to join the Bhattarai-led government. "Since there has already been a verbal agreement among parties to go for a fresh election, I have asked to transform the current government into a national consensus government. I proposed to go for other alternative only if there was no consensus on this option even during our negotiation on Monday," he said.
Dahal said that his party was still in favor of giving shape of national consensus government to Bhattarai-led government to resolve the deadlock. He however, said that Maoists have not presented Bhattarai as only candidate for the prime ministerial berth.
Dahal complained that NC had not taken their proposal seriously to resolve the deadlock. While reiterating that he would not contest for prime ministerial race until there is a fresh election, Dahal added, "Though I, in the capacity as the head of the largest party, am concerned, the opposition parties have failed to understand that there was also a need to get consensus of Prime Minister Bhattarai, who is also UCPN (Maoist) leader," he said.
Dahal also said that the Maoists strength of arms and armies had played a great role to make the democratic movement of April 2006 a success. "There had been agreement not to relinquish arms even after the 12-point agreement," he said.
Addressing the function, NC President Sushil Koirala asked Dahal to take greater responsibility to resolve the deadlock in his capacity as the head of the largest political party. He also suggested the Maoists to relinquish the politics of violence and focus on peaceful politics to bring about development and change.
Koirala, who was visibly aggressive at the Prime Minister, said Bhattarai and the UCPN (Maoist) were solely to be blamed for the current deadlock. The dissolution of the CA spearheaded by the Maoists with an intention of political coup, he further said.
UML Chairman Khanal argued there cannot be fresh election unless there was change of guard of the government. "The issue of reviving the dissolved CA is now limited only to an academic discussion. Since the current government is a failure on all fronts, its departure is a must," he added.
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