UML propose Khanal as PM

[Saorsa]

Interesting development, and it's very telling that the MKN/Oli faction prefer to agitate for a Congress led government than for a government led by their own party! Those two have lost all touch with their communist past.

Khanal is generally seen as being on the left of the party on some issues, and as being friendly towards the Maoists. However in reality he's just a very good political operator - when Oli is his main rival, and Oli is on the anti-Maoist right, Khanal rallies the forces of the party left (including leaders like Bam Dev Gautam) behind him to reinforce his position as party leader. Khanal's politics swing left or right depending on what he needs to accomplish at any given time.

Basically, the deadlock continues. The Congress have ruled out supporting a Maoist-led national unity govt until the Maoists totally severe their ties with the people's army. The UML appear to be taking a similar approach, and both parties are proposing their own candidates for PM. This is bloody ridiculous, and the situation can't last.

CPN-UML backs Khanal as PM
Last Updated : 2010-07-07 12:15 AM




Ananta Raj Luitel
KATHMANDU: The CPN-UML has decided to form national consensus government with party Chairman Jhalanath Khanal as prime minister. However, a section of party leaders led by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Oli have been lobbying for the formation of Nepali Congress-led government.

A UML source told The Himalayan Times that Oli and Nepal had opposed the formation of next government under the Maoist leadership, claiming that the UCPN-M was

yet to become a civilian party. “They want NC leader Ram

Chandra Paudel as the new PM,” he revealed.

Despite Oli and Nepal’s opposition, the central committee meeting held today took the decision to make efforts to form the government with Khanal as PM.

“As the Nepali Congress had supported us while forming the present government we should help the NC now,” the source quoted the PM as saying. “KP Oli also expressed the same view to prevent UCPN-M from leading the next government,” he added.

“Since efforts to form the government have been on, we have decided to request President Dr Ram Baran Yadav to extend the deadline he issued for the formation of the consensus government,” Yogesh Bhattarai, another central committee member told THT.

“To hold dialogue with the other parties, we have formed a dialogue committee under the coordination of Khanal,” he said, adding, “The committee would urge the other parities to help UML form the government.”

The UML has said it would concentrate on creating environment for consensus, promulgating constitution and taking peace process to logical end, integrating and rehabilitating the Maoist combatants, forming truth and reconciliation commission, commission on disappearance and the state restructuring commission.

However, a number of youth UML leaders, including Yogendra Bhattarai, Prakash Jwala, Bijaya Paudel, Ghanashyam Bhusal, Arun Nepal, Rajendra Gautam have opposed the formation of next government on simple majority basis. They claimed that such a government would not be much different from the present government and would be a failure.

“We’ll prefer to be the main

opposition instead leading such a weak government,” Bhattarai

said, adding, “Such a government will not promulgate constitution and take the peace process to a logical end.”

The youth leaders also pressed the leadership to deploy UML youths in the villages and reorganise the party instead joining a weak government.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=CPN-UML+backs+Khanal+as+PM&NewsID=249018

[Saorsa]

The MKN/Oli faction is taking some real blows.


Khanal replaces Oli in talks team

THIRA L BHUSAL

KATHMANDU, July 6: The CPN-UML Central Committee (CC) on Tuesday decided to replace party Standing Committee (SC) member KP Sharma Oli with party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal as coordinator of the committee formed four months back to hold talks with other political parties on resolving the political deadlock.

The decision comes at a time when some top UML leaders have intensified talks with other political parties staking claims to the leadership of a new government. Khanal himself held several rounds of talks with other political parties in recent days, seeking support for forming the new government under his leadership.



"A major decision of today´s meeting is that I have been replaced by party chairman [Khanal] himself as a coordinator of the talks team," Oli, considered an arch rival of Khanal, told reporters at the party head office at Balkhu after the meeting. At the meeting, Khanal himself tabled the agenda and Oli seconded it.

Asked about the reason for the decision, Oli said, "May be he [Khanal] thought I can´t represent him properly and his purpose can´t be fulfilled by me." Oli, who is close to caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, is reportedly in favor of forming a Nepali Congress (NC)-led government.

Khanal, however, refused to comment on Oli´s remarks. "This is a decision taken by the party Central Committee. I have no further comment," Khanal quipped.

According to UML leaders, the meeting also decided to make every attempt till the last minute to form a national consensus government. They informed that a majority of members who spoke at the meeting were for staking a claim to the leadership of the new government.

"The country´s president is from the NC and the UCPN (Maoist) has its own private arms and armies. Therefore the UML can be the only appropriate party for coordinating the two political forces -- NC and Maoist-- who stand at two opposite poles," UML leader Gokarna Bista said after the meeting.

Oli said that the UML is bound to insist on a national consensus government because the prime minister was pressed by UML leaders themselves to resign for the same reason. Some leaders loyal to Khanal had pressed Nepal to step down and pave the way for a consensus government.

Asked if he sees the possibility of a consensus coalition, Oli said satirically, "It should be possible as the chairman himself has actively taken up the initiative to that end."

Pradip Gyawali, chief of the party´s publicity department, said the meeting decided to request President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to extend the deadline for forging a consensus among the political parties on the new government. The deadline expires on Wednesday.

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=20731

[chegitz guevara]

They should have new elections. My belief is that would probably sweep the Maoists into a majority government.

[RED DAVE]

They should have new elections.Who is "they'? How can this be accomplished?


My belief is that would probably sweep the Maoists into a majority government.Then what?

RED DAVE