3 more days for Nepal parties to form govt

Following failure of political parties to form a consensus government on time, Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav on Sunday extended the deadline till Wednesday. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: Aug 22, 2011, 24:48:07 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Failing to arrive at a consensus on formation of the next government, political parties in Nepal have asked President Ram Baran Yadav to extend the deadline.

On August 8, a day after Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal resigned, Yadav had given an August 21 deadline to all parties to form the next government through consensus.

But with two major parties, Maoists and Nepali Congress, insisting on heading the next government, there was no agreement on formation of government within that deadline.

Maoists are pitching for vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai while Nepali Congress have put forward Sher Bahadur Deuba’s name for the prime minister’s post.

Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and the forum of Madhesi parties have decided not to head the next government. Caretaker Prime Minister Khanal belongs to CPN (UML).

On Sunday after several rounds of failed bilateral and multilateral talks failed to provide any positive outcome, the parties agreed to ask Yadav to extend the deadline by three more days.

"As we have not been able to agree yet on formation of a consensus government, we have decided to ask the President to extend the deadline," Maoist vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha told reporters.

As per provision of Nepal’s interim constitution, if the parties fail to select a prime minister through consensus, it has to be done through majority vote in parliament.

Since no party enjoys majority in parliament, the process gets stuck. Last time when Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned, it took seven months and 16 rounds of voting before Khanal was elected in February.

Nepal’s peace process and constitution drafting have suffered due to political instability. Another deadline to complete both tasks ends on August 31, the day when tenure of the Constitution Assembly also expires.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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