Nepal's five major parties demand PM's resignation
Nepal's five major political parties, including Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, have demanded Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's resignation, saying his unilateral move to hold fresh election was ''unconstitutional''.
"The Prime Minister's unilateral move to conduct fresh election by allowing to dissolve the most representative Constituent Assembly was aimed at capturing power and this has created frustration in the minds of the general public," said a joint statement issued by five parties.
"It has ended the politics of consensus and created a situation in which people's democratic rights are suppressed," said the statement signed by NC vice chairman Ramchandra Poudyal, CPN-UML President Jhala Nath Khanal, Rastriya Janata Party leader, president of Madhesi Peoples' Rights Forum Nepal Upendra Yadav and leader of Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Democratic Sharad Singh Bhandari.
The leaders have demanded Prime Minister Bhattarai's resignation to help create an atmosphere of consensus and to find a way out of the present political crisis.
They issued the statement Sunday mid-night after holding consultation with President Ram Baran Yadav, shortly after the Prime Minister recommended fresh election.
Last night Prime Minister Bhattarai held an emergency cabinet meeting and recommended to President to dissolve the Constituent Assembly.
Immediately after the meeting the Prime Minister went to the Rastrapati Bhawan and conveyed the decision of the cabinet recommending for the fresh election date of November 22.
"We have no other option but to go back to the people and elect a new assembly to write the constitution," Bhattarai said in his announcement broadcast live over television.
