December 5, 2004

KATHMANDU: Various sister organisations of the ruling CPN UML have asked the party leadership to announce withdrawal from the government.

Speaking at a program organised by the Reporters Club Nepal in Kathmandu Sunday, leaders of the UML’s sister organisations argued that the government was a complete failure and the party was unwise to be part of it.

“The government could not live up to the expectations of the people. There are no indications that it will ever be able to resolve the problems dogging the country,” said Khim Lal Bhattrai, chairman of the All Nepal National Free Students Union, the student wing of the UML. He suggested that the party launched street protests against ‘regression’ after abandoning the ruling alliance.

Gokarna Bista, chairman of the UML youth wing, the Democratic National Youth Association, maintained that the party made a wrong choice to join the Deuba-led government. “Party’s decision that regression was corrected with the appointment of Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister was flawed,” he said adding, “If the party does not quit the government right away, it will be committing a historic blunder.”

General secretary of the UML-affiliated National Teachers Association, Baburam Adhikari, said the party lacked clarity in many policy issues and urged the leadership to quit the government.

Speaking at the same program, UML leader Bidhya Bhandari and assistant minister Lal Babadur BK said that the party would not be wise to walk out of the government in the middle of the crisis. They said the cadres and the leaders should support the efforts of the party and the government toward bringing the Maoists to the negotiating table.