By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal’s political crisis deepened Friday after talks between the ruling parties and the Maoist guerrillas remained deadlocked for the second day on the issue of holding elections, causing the rebels to take the initiative to try and abolish King Gyanendra’s crown through parliament.
The former insurgents collected the signatures of 87 MPs and formally asked the office of the prime minister to call a special session of parliament.
According to Nepal’s new constitution, the prime minister has to call such a session if one-fourth of the legislators demand it. Currently, the consent of 83 MPs is needed to make such a demand.
The rebels, who joined parliament this year, have 83 MPs of their own. After a splinter communist group joined them this week, the number increased to 84, making them the second largest party in the house.
On Friday, former Maoist minister and government spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara, accompanied by his party’s chief whip Dinanath Sharma, went to the prime minister’s office to submit the application.
Besides, the demand is being supported by two more splinter communist parties with three MPs.
Earlier this month, the Maoists left the government demanding immediate abolition of the 238-year-old institution of monarchy as well as a different election method.
The government had chosen to follow a mixed electoral system for the crucial Nov 22 polls but the Maoists are demanding a fully proportional system.
Though Nepal’s new constitution has the provision to scrap the royal throne in a special session of parliament if two-third of the MPs agree, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has been resisting the demand, saying the decision should be left to the people.
Koirala is also refusing to change the election method.
With the Maoists warning that they would oppose the election if their demands are not met, the other ruling parties had been trying to find a common ground.
While Koirala agreed to pledge support for a republic at a mass meeting, he has refused to budge about the election mode, resulting in Friday’s talks ending without any agreement.
Now with their petition, the Maoists have started the process to have the king’s fate decided on the floor of the house.
They have also mounted pressure on the Koirala government by announcing a series of disruptive protests.
On Sunday, they have threatened to picket all district administration offices and thwart the parties’ bid to file nominations for the election.
They have also called for a three-day general strike from Oct 4, with Oct 5 being the second day for filing nominations.