KATHMANDU, Dec 6: Ending days of speculations that the CPN (Maoist Center), a constituent party of the ruling alliance, may join the CPN-UML-led alliance, the ruling parties on Monday affirmed that the ruling alliance will remain intact and a new government would be formed by the ruling parties.
A meeting of the ruling alliance held at the prime minister’s official residence in Baluwatar on Monday put aside their grudges and decided to give continuity to the alliance even though the meeting concluded that the final results of the elections were not as expected and there were cases of ruling parties not cooperating with each other during the election.
“The current alliance will form a new government. Some new parties will also join the alliance. New government will work towards achieving stability, development and prosperity as expected by the people,” Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki told media persons after the meeting.
There were speculations that the Maoist Center may eventually join the UML-led alliance to form a new government after the party’s office bearers’ meeting on Saturday decided to keep all options ‘open’ as UML was wooing it to form a new government. Although the party refuted making any such decision, the speculation was still rife in the political circle.
With the election result of Dolakha out on Monday morning, all results of the House of Representatives under the first-past-the-post FPTP election system are now out. According to the final result tally, the Nepali Congress (NC) has won 57 HoR seats, UML 44, the Maoist Center 18, CPN (Unified Socialist) 10 and Janata Samajbadi Party 7 seats. Similarly, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party each have secured victory in seven seats out of the total 165 FPTP seats.
“The results of the recently-held elections of House of Representatives and provincial assembly have again justified the need and the relevance of the current alliance. It is necessary to give continuity to the current alliance in view of the challenges present before the country,” reads a statement issued after the meeting.
The statement has been undersigned by NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal and Vice Chairperson of the People’s Front Nepal Durga Poudel. The top leaders were accompanied by second-rung leaders of their respective parties.
The NC, Maoist Center, CPN (Unified Socialist) and People’s Front Nepal had forged electoral alliance in the recently-held elections. The Maoist Center had earlier complained that the NC was not honest in casting votes in favor of the Maoist Center candidates in the election.
Sources said that top leadership of the ruling parties also held discussion about the problem seen in the ruling alliance during the election. The meeting on Monday decided to review and address misunderstanding, despite clear decisions and directives from the center, seen during the election in the days ahead, according to the statement.
“We are grateful to the love and trust shown by all the voters. Recognizing the spirit and trust of the voters and keeping the interest of the people and the country at the center, we express commitment to move ahead united in the days ahead,” the statement further said.