Nepal President sets deadline for consensus on PM

Although the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) — one of the three big parties in parliament — said it will not be staking claim for the prime ministerial position,both the Maoists and the Nepali Congress are likely to claim the post.

Meanwhile,Jhalanath Khanal who resigned as the Prime Minister Sunday under pressure from parties,mainly the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress,on Monday warned that if the Maoists and the Nepali Congress did not join hands together,peace and the constitution framing process will be doomed.

“For national consensus to be achieved,the Maoists and the NC must be practical,” he said in parliament. He defended his stance with respect to the Maoists and said “the peace process could not be achieved without Maoists’ unity,and the sole purpose of my giving them the Home Ministry,including for Prachanda’s nominees in the cabinet,was to promote that unity in the Maoists.”

Khanal was critical of his own party and the Nepali Congress for not extending cooperation to his government when he pursued the peace process in the country. Khanal’s just spent 189 days in office. While he claimed that his government was successful in all fronts,he said he could not take the peace process to its desired end because of no-cooperation from the actors in the country.