KATHMANDU, July 5: The two major ruling partners -- CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) -- have agreed to first endorse the annual budget currently being discussed in parliament and then enter the process of implementing the nine-point deal and other gentlemen's agreements reached between the two sides two months ago.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also the chairman of the UML, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, chairman of CPN (Maoist Center), reached the understanding during a two-hour-long meeting at the prime minister's official residence at Baluwatar on Monday.
“At the meeting today [Monday], the two leaders [Oli and Dahal] have reached an understanding to first endorse the budget and then become active to implement the nine-point agreement and other understandings reached between the leaders,” Dahal's personal secretary Jokh Bahadur Mahara, told Republica.
According to him, the one-on-one discussion between the two leaders was mainly focused on the possibilities of forming a national consensus government.
Parties strike deal finally, budget bill to be discussed first
The understanding has been reached at a time when some of the influential leaders of the CPN (Maoist Center) have pressed Dahal to block the budget in parliament if the UML doesn't agree to implement the nine-point deal immediately.
Signing the nine-point deal in May first week, Oli and Dahal had promised to initiate amendment to the laws on transitional justice, register ownership of the lands that were transacted on the strength of household papers during the conflict era on the basis of those same documents, and immediately initiate a process for the withdrawal or amnestying of political cases filed during the insurgency era and at other times.
The leaders had also reportedly reached an understanding to form new government under the leadership of Dahal.
Following this deal, UML leaders had succeeded to foil the plan to form Dahal-led government with support from the largest political party Nepali Congress.
Meanwhile, Dahal while addressing a function at Ugrachandi of Kavre district on Monday underscored the need for forming a national unity government to resolve some of the pressing national issues such as effective implementation of new constitution, accomplishing the incomplete tasks of peace process and reconstruction of the structures destroyed by the earthquakes last year.
Dahal said his party is for forming consensus government but he is not particular about the leadership of the coalition.
“Our party is ready to accept leadership of KP or Sher Bahadur if they can secure consensus. If not, the Maoist Center, also as one of the two signatories to the peace process, is ready to take up the responsibility,” said Dahal. “If consensus eludes then we can forge agenda-based agreements and settle the major challenges in the days to come.”
Dahal, who reached Kavre after meeting Oli, tried to further clarify that he was not in a hurry to topple the present government and form the new coalition.
