NC to seek UML, Maoist support

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
Congress to hold decisive talks with the two parties after building consensus among party leaders

KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress is preparing to hold deliberations with the Unified CPN-Maoist and the CPN-UML in a bid to muster support for a new government under its leadership.

According to NC central committee member Dip Kumar Upadhaya, his party will sit for ‘decisive’ talks with the Maoists and the UML on government formation after NC leaders reach a consensus on the issue at a meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning. A meeting of senior NC leaders is slated to be held at the party President’s residence at 9 am tomorrow.

“First, we will seek support from either both or one of the parties for a Congress-led government. Then only we will decide on who is to be nominated from our party. If the two parties do not support us, then we will opt to remain in the opposition,” Upadhaya said after a meeting of Congress senior leaders, including party president Sushil Koirala and Parliamentary Party (PP) leader Ram Chandra Paudel, at the NC Parliamentary Party office in Singha Durbar.

“We have also decided to hold top-level discussions on amendment to the Legislature Parliament regulation regarding the prime ministerial election process as the five-member panel has failed to settle the issue,” Upadhaya informed.

Although invited to the meeting, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba did not attend the meet, citing his appointment with the visiting Indian Foreign Secretary at his residence.

NC leaders Amod Prasad Upadhaya, Radheshyam Adhikari, Ramesh Lekhak, Nabindra Raj Joshi along with the party’s Constituent Assembly (CA) members were said to be present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Deuba aides say the NC leader, who is lobbying for his nomination as the party’s pick for the top executive job, is also preparing to hold separate discussions with the Maoist party and the UML. The move comes after party president Koirala, on Sunday, asked Deuba whether UCPN-M and UML were ready to support him.