SURKHET, Jan 24: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai won´t step down unless there is a “package agreement” among the political parties.
“There is no question of Bhattarai stepping down without a package agreement,” said Dahal while talking a group of journalists in Birendranagar Thursday morning. “It would be better if opposition parties do not waste time demanding his resignation.”
Dahal said the prime minister would quit office once there is agreement on issues related to fresh election and removal of legal and constitutional hurdles in holding the polls. He said that there cannot be consensus by forcing someone out.
On the occasion, Dahal said the party leaders would start holding talks with the opposition parties immediately after reaching Kathmandu. “Rest assured that there will be election at any cost,” he said.
Dahal also said that his party would be more flexible over the prime ministerial candidate for the new government. “We will accept anyone as the new prime ministerial candidate if there is a guarantee of new election by May end,” he said. “Nepali Congress and CPN-UML also need to be flexible.”
Dahal also claimed that the incident in Dailekh won´t affect efforts made toward forging consensus. Arguing that they were not against punishing those guilty of serious human rights violations during the conflict, Dahal said they want all such issues to be dealt with by the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
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