Nepal Left ‘accord’ on Govt formation

Nepal’s Maoists and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) have reached an understanding on the first president and vice-president of the republic, the names of whom will be disclosed in the next few days.

CPN (UML) general secretary Jhalanath Khanal on Monday met Maoist chief Prachanda and held a closed-door meeting. After the meeting, Khanal said the names of the president and vice-president will be announced soon “as both the parties vowed to form government as soon as possible”. Khanal, however, refused to elaborate on the understanding reached between the two parties.

“Within next 48 hours, the election of the first president is likely to be held,” said Maoist lawmaker Janardan Sharma.

The political parties came under severe criticism as they failed to form a government after more than three months of the Constituent Assembly (CA) election.

The controversy over the formation of the new government hit a dead end when the Maoists refused to accept the demand of the Nepali Congress to have Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as the first president of Nepal.

Annoyed with the Maoist decision, the Nepali Congress leaders have also threatened not to join the new coalition led by the Maoists.

The Maoists, however, can form a government without the support of the Nepali Congress now. On Sunday evening, the CA passed an amendment by virtue of which a government can be formed through a simple majority. Earlier, as per the interim constitution, a two-third majority was required for government formation.