Nepal in crisis

President gives up on consensus and calls for majority government

Article published on the 2009-05-10 Latest update 2009-05-10 14:38 TU

Maoist activists burn effigies of President Ram Baran Yadav in Kathmandu
(Photo: Reuters)

Nepal's President Ram Baran Yadav has written to parliament to call for the formation of a government with a simple majority of MPs, after a midnight deadline for the formation of an all-embracing "consensus" government expired. The Maoists, who have most seats in parliament, have vowed to keep up protests unless Yadav reverses his reinstatement of the army chief whom they fired.

Yadav on Sunday wrote to parliament calling for the formation of a majority government, which would require the support of more than half of the 601 MPs.

A group of about 20 parties, including Yadav's Nepali Congress and the Communist Party UML, had been trying to form a government but had failed to do so by the midnight Saturday deadline.

The UML, which is the third largest party in parliament, is now trying to find allies to form a government. If it fails the country may face another election.

"By tomorrow or day after tomorrow we'll get some solution," predicts Nepali Congress spokesperson Arjun Narsingha KC.

"We still are very seriously working to accomodate Maoists also in national government," he told RFI but went on to slam the former guerrillas.

"Their whole intention, strategy is to create a state of anarchy using force," he says.

The Maoists hold 40 per cent of the seats in parliament and their leadership says they will not join a government until Yadav fires army chief General Rookmangud Katawal, whom he reinstated after he was sacked by Maoist ministers in the previous government.

The reinstatement led to the fall of the Maoist-led government and the Maoists say it was unconstitutional and a blow to civilian rule.

Maoist leader Prachanda described his resignation as "a rocket at foreign reactionaries" and accused his opponents of doing the bidding of neighbouring countries, notably India and the US.

He claims that an unnamed leader of another political party told him that India is offering large bribes to MPs.

The Maoists continued street protests on Sunday. They have denied reports that they activists have driven political opponents out of some rural areas.