Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Maoists have finally received the green light to form Government

The Maoists have finally received the green signal they have been looking for, with four major parties in the Constituent Assembly - Nepali Congress, CPN (Unified Marxist Leninist), Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) and Terai Madhesh Loktantri Party (TMLP) - agreeing to allow the Maoist party, which has emerged as the biggest party through the Constituent Assembly election, to take over the reins of the new government.

An understanding to this effect was reached at a meeting of the aforesaid four parties in Singha Durbar Thursday.

The four parties have also decided to urge Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to invite the CPN-Maoist to form the new government, stressing that the Maoists should immediately start the process for the formation of the new government.

NC leader and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel, who was one of the participants at the meeting, told reporters after the meeting that the four parties also agreed to "resolve the constitutional crisis" through an amendment in the interim constitution. He said that the likely composition of the next government was also discussed at the meeting.

A meeting of five parties, CPN-M included, is to take place in the evening. Top leaders of NC, CPN (UML) and MJF had agreed on Wednesday to form a common stance on future power sharing -- ceremonial president after the abolition of monarchy - and amendment of the interim constitution so that a government can be formed and removed through a simple majority in the Constituent Assembly rather than the existing provision of it needing 2/3rd majority.

However, the Maoists are clearly against both these ideas and have vowed to oppose it.

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