UCPN (Maoist) Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on Monday that his party tried its best until the last moment to keep the Constituent Assembly alive, the tenure of which expired Sunday, failing to deliver a new constitution.
Speaking at a press meet at the Gyanzou Hotel in Lazimpat following the party´s standing committee meeting held in Paris Danda, the Maoist chairman blamed the dissolution of CA on those who did not want change in the country, referring to the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML as status quotists.
Dahal alleged that NC and UML were more focused on government formation at the final stage of the negotiations, whereas his party, Dahal maintained, had put constitution writing on priority. He argued that it was largely due to this mismatch in priorities that ultimately caused the CA to fail.
Even though the CA got dissolved, the struggle for the new constitution has not ended, Dahal said, adding the struggle just has entered a new phase. He stressed that unity and consensus among political parties should be the key to see off the present political crisis.
He also revealed that his party actually wanted to impose emergency in the country, as the last resort, to extend CA’s term by six months as negotiations over federalism did not look heading to a conclusive end even at the eleventh hour.
Dahal defended the government decision to go for fresh elections as, he argued, there could have been no more democratic option available, with CA facing certain dissolution. “The fresh polls will be held as per Supreme Court verdict,” Dahal said, claiming that his party would garner two-thirds majority in the elections so that the new constitution would not have to suffer another setback.
He ruled out any chances of constitutional vacuum in the country as the new elections, announced for November 22 this year, has been called and the CA dissolved also in line with the apex court´s verdict.
Dahal made it clear that PM Baburam Bhattarai will not step down immediately. He said a consensus government would be formed in the near future, claiming that NC and UML rejoin the government in a few days. Dahal, however, said discussions then could be held to decided on the leadership of the new government.
Dahal further said he, while facing up to his ´historical´ duty of peace process and constitution writing as the Maoist chairman, did not fail even though the country could not get a new constitution this time. "I don´t concede that I failed. The history will prove this," Dahal said.
Source myrepublica
Speaking at a press meet at the Gyanzou Hotel in Lazimpat following the party´s standing committee meeting held in Paris Danda, the Maoist chairman blamed the dissolution of CA on those who did not want change in the country, referring to the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML as status quotists.
Dahal alleged that NC and UML were more focused on government formation at the final stage of the negotiations, whereas his party, Dahal maintained, had put constitution writing on priority. He argued that it was largely due to this mismatch in priorities that ultimately caused the CA to fail.
Even though the CA got dissolved, the struggle for the new constitution has not ended, Dahal said, adding the struggle just has entered a new phase. He stressed that unity and consensus among political parties should be the key to see off the present political crisis.
He also revealed that his party actually wanted to impose emergency in the country, as the last resort, to extend CA’s term by six months as negotiations over federalism did not look heading to a conclusive end even at the eleventh hour.
Dahal defended the government decision to go for fresh elections as, he argued, there could have been no more democratic option available, with CA facing certain dissolution. “The fresh polls will be held as per Supreme Court verdict,” Dahal said, claiming that his party would garner two-thirds majority in the elections so that the new constitution would not have to suffer another setback.
He ruled out any chances of constitutional vacuum in the country as the new elections, announced for November 22 this year, has been called and the CA dissolved also in line with the apex court´s verdict.
Dahal made it clear that PM Baburam Bhattarai will not step down immediately. He said a consensus government would be formed in the near future, claiming that NC and UML rejoin the government in a few days. Dahal, however, said discussions then could be held to decided on the leadership of the new government.
Dahal further said he, while facing up to his ´historical´ duty of peace process and constitution writing as the Maoist chairman, did not fail even though the country could not get a new constitution this time. "I don´t concede that I failed. The history will prove this," Dahal said.
Source myrepublica
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