NC threatens to pull out of government

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress today told the CPN-UML that it would withdraw its support to coalition government and break the left-democratic alliance if UML voted against its prime ministerial candidate Ramchandra Paudel.

The NC threat follows failure of two rounds of talks — in Singha Durbar in the morning and at UML headquarters in Balkhu in the evening — between NC and UML today after UML stuck to its guns to vote against Paudel at the 17th prime ministerial run-off scheduled for January 12.

The UML, as per its central committee meeting decision on December 16, told NC to withdraw Paudel’s candidacy ‘or else the party would vote against him’.

After the talks with NC failed in Singha Durbar, UML had held an inconclusive standing committee meeting which will continue tomorrow as well. UML leaders later invited NC leaders at Balkhu and urged the latter to pull out of the prime ministerial race.

“We cannot go against the party’s central committee decision to vote against Paudel if he continues to stay in the race,” said UML standing committee member Bharat Mohan Adhikari, adding, his party proposed to NC stalwarts to end the ongoing election and start a new process. He termed NC threat meaningless.

“We have asked UML leaders to reconsider its decision as this will jeopardise the democratic alliance,” said NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi, who was privy to today’s parleys with the UML.

Nidhi, however, quoted UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal as saying that the next government should be formed under the democratic alliance — either on consensus basis or majority.

But a UML leader who is close to KP Sharma Oli told this daily that the UML leadership adopted ‘delay tactics’ of not taking a fresh decision till January 12. Giving a different spin to the developments, he said UML leadership itself wanted to break the alliance.

UML Secretary Shankar Pokharel said the party would consider supporting the NC candidate next time if it pulled out of the race this time. “Our stand is that the next government can be formed under the leadership of any party except the Maoists,” said Pokharel.

NC leaders, according to sources, were contemplating withdrawing Paudel’s candidacy provided UML agreed, in writing, to support its candidate in the fresh election. But it did not materialise as UML leaders said their standing committee meeting was still on.

However, Netra Panthi, a UML CC member, said the party’s standing committee didn’t have the mandate to revoke a CC decision.

TMDP to vote for Paudel

KATHMANDU: A central committee meeting of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party has decided to vote for NC candidate Ramchandra Paudel at the 17th prime ministerial run-off on January 12. The four-day long meeting concluded on Monday. TMDP has 11 lawmakers after it split on December 31 with nine of its lawmakers forming TMDP-Nepal. — HNS