Will quit after President is elected, says Koirala

A day after the Maoists quit his Cabinet, Nepal Prime Minister G P Koirala on Saturday said he will step down as soon as a new President is elected.

A day after the Maoists quit his Cabinet, Nepal Prime Minister G P Koirala on Saturday said he will step down as soon as a new President is elected. Speaking at a meeting of the ruling party alliance, Koirala made it clear that the Nepali Congress will not be part of the Government headed by Maoist chief Prachanda. “We will sit in the Opposition.”

The new President is likely to be elected on Thursday by a simple majority of the Constituent Assembly and Koirala is expected to resign the same day.

“He is not being able to resign now as the Constitution clearly states that the Prime Minister shall submit his resignation to the President. And since Koirala is both Prime Minister and head of the state, to whom should he submit his resignation?” said Arjun Narsingh K C, Nepali Congress, central committee member.

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However, the prospect of the two main Left parties— Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist)— coming together to share the Prime Minister and the President’s post suffered a setback on Saturday after a few diplomats warned the alliance not to break the politics of consensus.

The Nepali Congress also turned down the Left parties’ offer to accept the post of House Speaker. “This is not acceptable to us in the manner it has come,” Prakash Sharan Mahat, NC central committee member, said.

For Kolkata, the IMD has forecast mostly cloudy skies with light to moderate rain or thundershowers on most days through Panchami.

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