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| Kathmandu, Wednesday October 09, 2002 Ashwin 23, 2059. |
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His Majesty’s decision
unconstitutional, must be rectified: Parties
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Oct 8:Six major political parties
today urged His Majesty King Gyanendra to rectify the ‘unconstitutional’ steps
he took last Friday while dismissing the government and assuming all executive powers.
In a petition submitted at the Royal Palace
Secretariat today, the parties - Nepali Congress, CPN (UML), Rastriya Prajatantra Party
(RPP), Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party and People’s
Front Nepal - urged the monarch to rectify the ‘wrong’ which they said was based
on wrong advice given to the King.
The petition has termed the King’s
assumption of executive powers as ‘unconstitutional’ and requests the monarch to
rectify that action. The parties, in the petition, insisted that the executive powers
should be transferred back to the people.
The political parties who had sought an
appointment with the King to explain their position on the recent political crisis
submitted the memorandum through the Palace Secretariat after they failed to have an
appointment with the King.
These leaders waited for nearly six hours for an
audience with the King only to be told at the end of the day that the appointment is not
going to come true. With the deadline set by the King for political parties to suggest him
representative names to be included in the Council of Ministers over, the King is left
with little option than announcing the cabinet shortly most likely tomorrow on his own.
Ousted Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has
already said his party would not be keen to join the new ministry. The six parties are
insisting that they may not be averse to joining the cabinet if the King listens to their
suggestions.
Meanwhile, intense speculations continue on the
likely choice of the Prime Minister. Former PM Kirti Nidhi Bista is emerging as the front
runner for the post.
The developments come in the wake of sacking of
the government led by outgoing interim Prime Minister Deuba on Friday. Although King had
issued a call to the political parties to suggest names of possible individuals within
five days, the political parties, instead of suggesting names, decided to meet the King in
a collective audience.
Since the efforts to meet the King failed on
Tuesday the parties have registered a letter outlining suggestions and seeking audience.
Party leaders are expecting audience with the King "soon" so that they can put
forth their point of views in a succinct manner, sources said.
Meanwhile, leaders of various political parties
said the executive powers could be transferred back to the people by appointing a prime
minister as recommended by the political parties. Only such a prime minister will have the
authority to form an interim government as per the Constitution, they claim.
"His Majesty has assumed executive power
unconstitutionally," KP Sharma Oli, a member of CPN-UML Standing Committee said.
"The present political crisis is the result of wrong advice given by the so-called
advisers of the King."
Oli said that the King must immediately hand
over executive power to the people for the sake of multi-party democracy and
constitutional monarchy. "UML is not going to recommend any names to the King for the
formation of Council of Ministers without knowing the forms and purpose of the interim
government."
Similarly, Arjun Narsing KC, spokesperson of the
Nepali Congress, accused ousted PM Deuba of having created the present political crisis.
He reiterated that the NC was still in favour of the restoration of the dissolved
parliament, stressing that the government must be formed in accordance with the Article
128 of the Constitution.
Lila Mani Pokharel, Vice-President of
People’s Front - Nepal, said that the Royal proclamation smacked with a conspiracy to
reintroduce autocratic rule. "The executive power after the restoration of democracy
rests entirely with the people and the King can never take control of it," Pokharel
said.
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