Kathmandu: As UCPN (Maoist) tries to woo
CPN-UML and Madhesi parties to get Prachanda elected as Prime
Minister, a Maoist leader has blamed India for preventing
these parties from supporting its nominee.
Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Secretary C P
Gajurel has alleged that India has "tied hands and feet" of
CPN-UML and Madhesi parties from supporting Prachanda, who has
failed to secure a simple majority even after four rounds of
polling in a House of 601 members.
Fifth round of voting was deferred to August 23, which
was earlier scheduled for yesterday as parties wanted more
time to make the two frontrunners, Prachanda and Nepali
Congess` R C Poudyal stand down.
The political imbroglio over election of Prime Minister
is continuing for over seven weeks since government led by
Madhav Kumar Nepal collapsed.
Gajurel claimed that New Delhi is openly interfering in
Nepalese internal affairs as CPN-UML and Madhesi parties are
waiting its "green signal" to reveal their cards and warned
his party will intensify anti-India movement.
Hectic consultations are under way among major political
parties, with the Nepali Congress and UCPN-Maoist trying to
woo the CPN-UML and the Madhesi parties.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress spokesman Arjun Narsingh
Khatrichhetri said the party will not withdraw its candidacy
in the Prime Ministerial election unless others agree on
agenda for consensus.
He asked the Maoists to be sincere in implementing
past agreements related to the peace process.
PTI
