Kathmandu, Nepal, February 14, 2023: The rounds meetings held between the leaders of the CPN UML and the CPN Maoist Center have failed to find the common ground about the candidate of the president.
Though just two weeks are left to file the nominations for the presidential election scheduled for March 9, the ruling coalition partners, particularly the major two parties have failed to resolve the differences over the new presidential candidate.
The differences between the two major coalition partners over the issue of presidential candidate have started doubting the longevity of the incumbent government led by Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The attempts made by some second rung leaders of the two parties to arrange the meeting between their chairmen failed to bearer the results, thanks to the souring relations between them. Adamant stands of Prime Minister Dahal to seek the consensual candidate for the president have reached at the extent of breaking the coalition.
As Prime Minister Dahal remained adamant on his proposal of finding a consensus candidate for new President, a meeting of the ruling parties held at the prime minister’s residence at Baluwatar on Sunday had failed to make any headway. Since then, no meeting is held between Oli and Dahal.
Prime Minister Dahal has not only refused the proposal of Oli to elect the UML candidate in the post of the president but to restore Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair Ravi Lamichhane as home minister. Oli had been exerting pressure to Dahal to restore RSP’s president Lamichhane in the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs,
Following the continuous denial of Prime Minister Dahal despite backing from the UML Chair Oli, the RSP has on Monday decided not to rejoin in the government. The decision of the RSP not to rejoin in the government is also taken a measure of the ongoing differences within the coalition partners.
The UML’s demand to elect its candidate as the new president is backed by the RSP and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) as well. The two coalition partners have also been insisting that the new President has to be elected from the ruling coalition partners on the basis of the understanding reached among them ahead of Dahal’s election as prime minister.
However, remaining three coalition partners- Upendra Yadav led Janata Samajbadi Party, Ranjita Shrestha led Nagarik Unmukti Party and CK Raut led Janamat Party have not made their position clear regarding the election of new president.
