NC, Maoist Center decide to wait for JSP’s decision on new government formation

KATHMANDU : A three-party meeting held among the top leaders of the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Maoist Center) and Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) to form a coalition government under the leadership of NC has ended on a ‘positive note’.

According to NC and Maoist Center leaders present in the meeting held at the residence of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, the NC and the Maoist Center have agreed to wait until the JSP gives its decision to form a new government under the NC’s leadership.

Talking to media persons after the meeting, Maoist Center’s Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said both NC and the Maoist Center had asked for the official position of the JSP to form a new government under the leadership of NC. “At the outset of the meeting, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba informed the participants of the meeting about the party’s decision to form a new government under NC’s leadership. We clearly said that we have our support for the NC-led government. We also asked JSP leaders to make their positions clear at the earliest possible,” said Shrestha.

JSP leader Mahanta Thakur said they have formally received a proposal to form a new government. “We have not held discussions on this issue in the party. In fact, we are yet to hold a discussion on this issue. We have informed them that we will soon hold discussions on the proposal and take a decision at the earliest,” he said.

Thakur said NC and the Maoist Center had assured him to fulfill the demands including the release of the party’s lawmaker Resham Chaudhary.

NC Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma said they had decided to wait until the JSP took its formal decision whether to be part of the NC-led coalition government as Prime Minister KP Oli is also trying to solicit the support of JSP to save his government. “Janata Samajbadi has asked us for a few days to make a decision. Today’s meeting is positive. We will soon sit for another round of meeting once Janata Samajbadi takes appropriate decisions,” said Sharma.

NC leaders Ram Chandra Paudel, Dr Shashank Koirala, Bijya Kumar Gachchhadar and Bimalendra Nidhi, Maoist Center leaders Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Narayan Kaji Shrestha and JSP leaders Baburam Bhattarai and Upendra Yadav were among those present in the meeting.