Maoist-led national consensus govt should be formed in Nepal: PM Koirala

Kathmandu, August 9 : Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said on Saturday that a consensus government led by the Maoists should be formed.

According to Kantipur, in a meeting with Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) General Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal at PM's official residence at Baluwatar today, the Prime Minister reportedly underscored that the Maoists should create an environment of trust by implementing the agreements made in the past.

Nepali Congress leader Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, who was also present at the meeting, said that his party was ready for consensus. Mahat, however, added that the Nepali Congress will stay as the opposition if it did not find respectable positions in the to-be-formed government.

The major political parties remained busy today in several bilateral and multilateral meetings as they failed to forge an agreement for a national unity government even by Friday's deadline given by the President.

On Friday evening after the parties failed to reach a common agreement, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had informed President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav through a phone call that it was impossible to form a national consensus government as per Article (38) 1 of the interim constitution.

A meeting of the four major political parties of Nepal-Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M), Nepali Congress, UML and Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF)- ended in deadlock after they failed to reach consensus on issues such as the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and sharing of major ministries.

Following Dahal's call, Secretary at the President's office informed General Secretary of Parliament said that the President has directed the parties to take up the procedure to form a majority government as per Article 38 (2) under the circumstances in which they failed to from a consensus government.

The President's office has prepared a letter, as per the President's directive, which will be registered at the parliamentary secretariat at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

ANI