Nepal: `No extra constitutional step to resolve crisis`

Kathmandu: President Ram Baran Yadav has assured Maoist chief Prachanda that he would not take an "extra constitutional step" to end the "ingrained" political crisis in the country and a decision based on consensus between political parties would be acceptable to him. Prachanda met Yadav at the Rastrapati Bhawan today and said that the President told him that any decision to be taken by political parties, based on consensus, towards ending the current stalemate would be acceptable. The President also asked the Maoist chief, "not to run after the reports that he would take an extraordinary move to end the ingrained crisis in the country." "Don`t believe in what is reported in media. Without consensus among political parties, I am not going to take any decision," Prachanda, quoted Yadav as telling him. According to Prachanda, President Yadav urged him as the leader of the largest party in the dissolved-Constituent Assembly to take an initiative for early consensus. "The President would neither take any extra constitutional step nor act without forging consensus among the political parties", Prachanda told reporters after his meeting with the head of the state. The President made it clear to Prachanda that it would be difficult for him to endorse ordinances related to full budget without the parties first reaching a common understanding in that regard. The caretaker government is facing budget crunch and according to reports the government will not be able to pay even salary to the government staff if the budget is not endorsed by mid-November. On Friday, President Yadav had held consultation with Prachanda, CPN- UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala, United Democratic Madhesi Front Coordinator Vijay Kumar Gachchhadar and pressed them for early consensus to rescue the country from the current constitutional and political deadlock. The political deadlock in Nepal has continued since Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai dissolved the Constituent Assembly on May 27 without promulgating the Constitution and announced fresh polls for November 22, a move criticised by political parties for being "unilateral". PTI