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Nepal`s major parties demand one of their own as new PM
Kathmandu, June 01: Leaders of Nepal`s major political parties today demanded the new prime minister come from their ranks, threatening more protests if king Gyanendra again sidelines them.
Kathmandu, June 01: Leaders of Nepal's major political parties today demanded the new prime minister come from their ranks, threatening more protests if king Gyanendra again sidelines them.
One leader said the parties' choice to succeed Lokendra Bahadur Chand as prime minister was Madhav Kumar Nepal, the main opposition leader in the parliament dissolved last year.
"To solve the current crisis, we the five political parties have mutually agreed to elect Madhav Kumar Nepal, leader of the Nepal Communist Party-United Marxist and Leninist (NCP-UML), to head the new government succeeding Chand," said Amik Sherchan, chairman of another of the parties, the People's Front-Nepal.
Chand, who was appointed in October when the king sacked the elected government, resigned Friday saying he wanted to pave the way for reconciliation.
But leaders of the five major parties said the choice of the next prime minister was up to them and not Gyanendra, with whom they held talks at the palace late Friday.
"The new prime minister should not be nominated by the king but be elected by the five political parties represented in the dissolved parliament," said Bharat Mohan Adhikari, a senior leader of Madhav Kumar Nepal's NCP-UML.
"So long as the king does not fulfill our demands we will continue our struggle against his repressive move of October 4," Adhikari told reporters.
The parties, which have been holding daily strategy sessions on the formation of the next government, claimed credit for Chand's resignation.
"We forced Chand to resign through our three weeks of political protests across the country," Adhikari said.
Bureau Report
"To solve the current crisis, we the five political parties have mutually agreed to elect Madhav Kumar Nepal, leader of the Nepal Communist Party-United Marxist and Leninist (NCP-UML), to head the new government succeeding Chand," said Amik Sherchan, chairman of another of the parties, the People's Front-Nepal.
Chand, who was appointed in October when the king sacked the elected government, resigned Friday saying he wanted to pave the way for reconciliation.
But leaders of the five major parties said the choice of the next prime minister was up to them and not Gyanendra, with whom they held talks at the palace late Friday.
"The new prime minister should not be nominated by the king but be elected by the five political parties represented in the dissolved parliament," said Bharat Mohan Adhikari, a senior leader of Madhav Kumar Nepal's NCP-UML.
"So long as the king does not fulfill our demands we will continue our struggle against his repressive move of October 4," Adhikari told reporters.
The parties, which have been holding daily strategy sessions on the formation of the next government, claimed credit for Chand's resignation.
"We forced Chand to resign through our three weeks of political protests across the country," Adhikari said.
Bureau Report