UML CC members against heading majority govt

KATHMANDU, July 19: A majority of Central Committee (CC) members of the CPN-UML at its CC meeting on Monday spoke against the party´s chairman, Jhalanath Khanal, leading a new majority government.

The nearly six-hour-long meeting was postponed for Tuesday morning after failing to take any decision.

They argued that the party cannot stake claim to leadership of a majority government right after forcing party senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal to step down as prime ministerial while his government still commanded a clear majority in parliament.

"Majority of the 100 CC members who spoke at the meeting stood against staking claim to leadership of a new majority government right after the resignation of a similar government headed by a senior leader of our party," Pradip Gyawali, chief of the party´s publicity department, told reporters after the meeting. In the 116-member CC, only 86 members can vote in case the party chooses to take a decision by vote. Others are alternative members who can only put forth their views at the meeting.

According to Gyawali, the party´s leaders will hold further rounds of talks with other parties to see if there is any chance for a UML leader heading a consensus government. "Only if we find sufficient grounds to ensure that will we field our leader for the race," he added.

Some leaders close to Khanal argued that the process of government formation should be started by incorporating as many parties as possible at the beginning and that could later be converted into a consensus government. Gyawali, however, ruled out such a possibility. "We can´t go for that option without guaranteeing the outcome," he added.

According to leaders present at the meeting, over 60 members clearly spoke against leading a majority government. They at the same time suggested to top leaders to stake claim to government leadership only if it is certain that Chairman Khanal can head a government of at least a two-thirds majority.

General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel, who is believed to be close to Khanal, also put forth a similar view at the meeting. "Chairman´s candidacy should be filed only after ensuring two-thirds of the vote in his favor," leaders quoted him as saying.

Senior leaders said there is a chance of filing Khanal´s candidacy through an announcement in advance that he would head the government only if he can garner a two-thirds majority.

But some of the members put forth counter-arguments, saying that supporting a Nepali Congress-headed government instead of utilizing an opportunity for the UML to head the government would not be a wise step either. Gyawali categorically ruled out any possibility of heading a majority government.

Source: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=21232