Maoists to allow House for credit bill
The Unified CPN (Maoist), which has been obstructing the House since over
a month protesting against the President's move to block the erstwhile
government's decision to sack the army chief, has taken a strategy of
allowing the House only for a credit bill as the fiscal year is coming to
a close.
Maoist leaders proposed to Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML) at separate
meetings held Thursday to present a credit bill as an immediate solution
to the ongoing crisis if a consensus is not reached. The finance ministry
cannot sanction any money from the government coffer from July 16 if a
budget or a credit bill is not passed before that.
Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha told Nagarik daily, a secretariat
meeting to be organised Friday will formally decide to allow the House for
a credit bill. However, NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel has said credit bill
without the policies and programmes of the government is meaningless.
UCPN (Maoist) has said it would not allow President Ram Baran Yadav to
present the policies and programmes of the government until their demands
are met.
Meanwhile, the Maoists, who had been asking the Prime Minister to term the
President's move as unconstitutional through a speech in the parliament,
have come up with a new proposition to end the House deadlock Thursday.
UCPN (Maoist) has proposed for an amendment in the interim constitution by
categorically defining the jurisdiction of the PM and the president, if
the PM cannot term the President's move in the past as unconstitutional.
The present crisis arose as the jurisdiction of the PM and the President
was not clear. So, the jurisdiction of the president and the PM should be
clearly mentioned in the constitution so that such problem will not arise
in future irrespective of which party leads the government, Maoist
chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said.
Thursday's meetings ended inconclusively after UML and NC leaders could
not give decisions on the latest proposal of the Maoists. They will meet
again Friday. nepalnews.com Jul 03 04
