NEPAL: Maoists may replace Prachanda with Dr. Bhattarai in PM race

FROM THE HIMALAYAN TIMES

KATHMANDU: A senior Maoist leader on Tuesday opined that his party should withdraw its candidate from the prime ministerial race and take initiatives to forge political consensus among parties as the election based on majority vote has failed to choose the country’s new executive head despite three rounds of voting.

UCPN-Maoist politburo member Ram Karki said the parties should discontinue practicing the majority system and should opt for the consensus instead. He was speaking at an interaction organised by the Reporters Club in Kathmandu today.

Dubbing the present election as a sordid exercise to form a majority government, Karki opined that the Friday’s runoff should be put off at the earliest. “This (election) process should be halted and new initiatives should be taken to forge consensus. Else, the country will not see a solution.”

Pitching an idea of fielding new candidates in the election, Karki said the Maoists are ready to substitute Prachanda with Dr. Baburam Bhattarai to garner support from other parties and build the consensus.
Speaking at the same programme, Rastriya Prajatantra Party chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana stressed on finding the alternatives got the formation of national unity government.

As both the candidates failed to be elected as the new prime minister even after the third rounds of voting, he said, the existing House regulations should be amended to find a way out.

Nepali Congress leader Narayan Khadka of Nepali Congress and CPN-UML leader Karna Bahadur Thapa also spoke at the programme.