NC pushes Koirala as PM, fixes Cabinet set-up terms
KATHMANDU, FEB 05 - Nepali Congress' ( NC ) Central Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday officially proposed its party President and Parliamentary Party leader Sushil Koirala for the post of prime minister according to the party's charter.
The NC wants maximum participation of the parties represented in the CA in a Koirala-led government, a press statement issued by the party reads.
To ensure Koirala is unopposed for the post of PM, the CWC has formed a negotiating team to convince other parties.
During the meeting, Koirala had proposed party leader and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba lead the team, though Deuba rejected the offer saying that he was not an appropriate candidate and that he would extend support from outside.
After Deuba rejected the offer, the meeting entrusted Koirala to appoint the negotiating team. Unofficially, until now, Koirala had been giving the responsibility of negotiating with the second largest party, CPN-UML, to Ram Sharan Mahat and Deep Kumar Upadhyay.
CWC members Shanker Bhandrai and Pushpa Bhusal maintained that the NC should keep the option open to form a government with the help of the UCPN (Maoist), RPP-N and Madhesi parties if CPN-UML seeks a larger stake in the Cabinet. "
CWC member Dhan Raj Gurung meanwhile said that Cabinet should be no larger than 25 members with preferences given to new faces.
The negotiating team is mandated to create a common ground for the drafting of a new federal, democratic and republican constitution within a year, and for the holding of local elections within six months, promoting economic prosperity, social justice and poverty alleviation.
The team will also forge consensus and seek resolutions on discouraging bandas, providing relief to conflict victims, setting transparent and accountable governance and ensuring law and order.
The team will discuss the power-sharing issue with other parties including the CPN-UML beginning Wednesday.
The meeting also drew the concern of the government to the sacking of Mahanta Tapeshwor Das of Janaki Mandir of Janakpur and urged the government to follow tradition.
The party also thanked the parties and leaders who had extended written support to Koirala of late.
At the meeting, party Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel, CWC members Ram Sharan Mahat, Arjun Nar Singh KC, Mahesh Acharya, Narahari Acharya and 20 others had voiced their perspectives.
