Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal yesterday urged the people to celebrate the successful holding of local elections, and said preparations were on for holding the second phase on June 14.
Speaking at an inaugural ceremony of the Agriculture and Forestry University’s central office building in Rampur in Chitwan, Dahal said he felt like a winner himself notwithstanding his party’s performance in the polls.
Dahal said he felt relieved at the successful holding of the local level elections, and added, “The nation has entered a new era.”
He also acknowledged the challenges of holding the second phase of local polls, the Himalayan Times reported.
Dahal stated he would hold a meeting with major political parties and Madhes-based parties in a bid to create a conducive environment for holding elections in Provinces 1, 2, 5 and 7, after returning to the capital.
CPN Maoist chairman Dahal said after completion of the second phase of local polls, all the political achievements would be institutionalised and people would witness the pace of development in their regions.
In another development, Nepal’s council of ministers have accepted the Tharuhat Tarai-Madhes movement as a political one on Thursday at a meeting held at the office of the prime minister and council of ministers.
It was decided under the recommendation of the ministry of home affairs that the ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs will present a proposal to withdraw all the cases filed against the people who participated in the movement, the daily reported.
The cabinet meeting has also decided to introduce the ‘Chure Tarai Madhes protection and management master plan’ for the management of the river systems, the promotion of greenery, forest area, for the development and sustainable management of forests and natural resources, and for minimizing the risk of climate change and adaptation in the Chure Tarai region, Nepal’s Information and Communications Minister Surendra Kumar Karki said.
With the successful conclusion of the first phase of local polls, Prime Minister Dahal is expected to resign by May 24.
“We are in internal discussions and preparations regarding the date for resignation. The prime minister will resign not later by Wednesday and we will support the Nepali Congress for the formation of new government if the attempt to form a government on consensus fails,” CPN-Maoist Centre spokesperson Pampha Bhusal said.
It is said that the CPN-Maoist Centre will endorse CPN-UML candidate Bamdev Gautam, former minister for home affairs in the K P Oli led cabinet, as next prime minister.
This was rejected by Bhusal, who claimed that Maoist Centre will support a Nepali
Congress-led government.
Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba is expected to be the next premier of Nepal.