Nepal parties want more time to agree on govt. formation

Failing to arrive at a consensus within the Friday deadline, political parties in Nepal today sought five more days from President Ram Baran Yadav to form the next government.

Updated on: Jan 21, 2011, 16:56:29 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Failing to arrive at a consensus within the Friday deadline, political parties in Nepal sought five more days from President Ram Baran Yadav to form the next government.

Leaders of the three major parties—Maoists, Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) however claimed that they have reached an agreement on power sharing.

The three parties have agreed to support a government led by anyone among them. But there’s no agreement yet on who would lead it.

Yadav had asked the parties to select a prime minister through consensus within January 21 midnight. But, with all three big players seeking the post, no compromise was reached.

Agreeing to the request made by NC, Maoists and CPN (UML), the other 25 smaller parties in parliament also urged the President to extend the government formation deadline.

Nepal now faces a situation similar to last year when political parties failed to form a government through consensus after resignation of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal in June.

It led to 16 rounds of unsuccessful voting in parliament without any candidate securing majority votes. The cycle ended earlier this month with lone NC candidate Ram Chandra Poudel withdrawing.

If the parties again fail to reach consensus within the extra time, another round of voting to elect the next prime minister is likely.

A five member parliamentary committee formed to amend the rules to make PM election more result oriented has also failed to make much headway due to different views of the three major parties.

Deadlock over government formation has affected completion of the peace process and drafting of the new constitution—both of which have to be completed within the extended May 28 deadline.

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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