Chitwan/Kathmandu, May 26

Chairman of CPN Maoist Centre Pushpa Kamal Dahal today revealed that a new government would be formed under his leadership as soon as the government endorsed the budget for the new fiscal.

While signing a nine-point deal on May 5, the then Unified CPN-Maoist had asked the ruling CPN-UML to ink a secret deal in black and white to hand over the government to UCPN-M Chairman Dahal but since PM KP Sharma Oli refused to sign the deal it was treated as a gentleman’s agreement.

Sources in the CPN Maoist Centre involved in the deal claim that the PM wanted to keep the gentleman’s agreement secret but UML’s Vice-Chairman Bamdev Gautam, the key negotiator from the UML who had convinced UCPN-M not to leave the government, had also revealed the secret deal to hand over power after the budget.

Speaking at a press meet in Bharatpur of Chitwan organised by Revolutionary Journalists’ Association today, Dahal claimed that his party had signed a nine-point agreement after the CPN-UML agreed to hand over the government’s leadership to him.

Dahal claimed that his party had been advocating for a national consensus government since his party was in opposition, and of late, the main opposition Nepali Congress party and the agitating Madhes-based forces had agreed to join the government led by him.

“There is no option but to form a consensus government for the effective implementation of the new constitution, accelerate reconstruction works and to speed up developmental activities in the country,” said Dahal.

He claimed that a consensus government was the best alternative to overcome the challenges and hurdles facing the country.

Dahal argued that the government, which he was going to lead, was the need of the hour to forge consensus among the parties and sort out the conflict-era cases as well. He stressed that those conflict era cases should be settled as per the spirit of peace process.

“The government is preparing to deliver the new budget based on consensus. The budget won’t be ambitious and complex,” Dahal added.

Asked about the contempt of court case filed at the Supreme Court, he said he would send a written response to the top court tomorrow.

In a different context, Dahal said civic body polls should be held in March or April. “The date for the election of the local bodies should be finalised after proper consultations among the parties,” he said.