Kathmandu, Dec 7: Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav today extended by six days the deadline to name a consensus Prime Ministerial candidate, a day after major political parties failed to agree on forming a national government.
“The President has extended the deadline for recommending the name of the consensual candidate of Prime Minister by another six days as per the request made by the major political parties,” a notice issued by his office said today.
It was second time that the President had extended the deadline issued to the political parties to form a national consensus government that would replace the incumbent government led by Baburam Bhattarai.
President Yadav last week extended the deadline till yesterday after the leaders of political parties said they need some more time for reaching a consensus.
However, despite hectic negotiation through out the week the parties failed to decide on the prime ministerial candidate.
The extension of the deadline comes after a crucial meeting between the President and Maoist chief Prachanda this morning.
The talks among four major political parties failed yesterday as the ruling alliances UCPN-Maoist and Joint Madhesi Front and the opposition parties Nepali Congress and CPN-UML stuck to their respective stance, NC sources said.
Earlier, Nepali Congress had nominated its president Sushil Koirala as the candidate for Prime Minister after the UCPN-Maoist and the CPN-UML asked it to recommend the name of its candidate.
However, after the NC presented Koirala as its candidate, the ruling alliance said it cannot hand over power to the main opposition party unless they reach consensus to sort out difference regarding outstanding issues of the constitution.
Nepal plunged into political and constitutional crisis after Bhattarai dissolved the Constituent Assembly without promulgating the Constitution as promised by him in May.
The political crisis further deepened after the elections announced by the Prime Minister could not be conducted on the stipulated date of November 22.
