Disturbed with the ongoing political crisis, Nepal's beleagured Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Thursday said that the Constituent Assembly elections will be held within a few months even if the Maoists do not rejoin the government.
Koirala told newsmen at Biratnagar (his constituency) that a new date for the elections would be fixed soon after holding a seven-party meeting. “I want the elections by mid-April," he said.
The octogenarian Prime Minister said if the Maoists do not return to the government, it would be interpreted that they do not want the elections. The Maoist ministers resigned from the interim government on September 18 in protest against Koirala's failure to address their demands.
"The root-cause of all political problems is the deferral of the elections," Koirala said. The CA election, which was scheduled to be held on November 22, has been cancelled indefinitely.
Even though the special session of the interim parliament recently passed resolutions on republic and a fully proportional representation system for the CA elections, Koirala said the upcoming winter session will now have to settle it.
The Prime Minister claimed both the motions will now have to be passed by two-third majority of the 327-member house. He knows it well that attaining two-third majority on the two motions would be impossible for both Maoists and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML).
{{/usCountry}}The Prime Minister claimed both the motions will now have to be passed by two-third majority of the 327-member house. He knows it well that attaining two-third majority on the two motions would be impossible for both Maoists and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML).
{{/usCountry}}In fact, the prime minister is opposed to proclamation of republic as well as the fully proportional electoral system. But, he could not prevent the motions from passing in the house after the Maoists and CPN (UML) supported each other.
Meanwhile, senior Maoists and CPN (UML) leaders have been having a series of meetings to pressurise Koirala and his government to implement both the proposals passed in the special session of the interim parliament.