Thapa could be PM: Dahal

KIRAN PUN KATHMANDU, Dec 15: Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on Wednesday that party General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa could be prime minister if the other parties do not agree to join the government under incumbent PM Baburam Bhattarai. But the Maoist chairman stated that the chance of leading the government should not go to another political parties in the course of attempting to change the government leadership. Dahal expressed such views during a meeting of the party top brass, including Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya and Prime Minister Bhattarai, at his residence at Nayabazaar. "The Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have been saying that they would not join a national consensus under your [Bhattarai´s] government formed on the basis of the four-point deal. If other parties agree, the chance should go to our party leader Badalji [Thapa]," a Maoist leader privy to the meeting quoted Dahal as saying. According to him, Bhattarai had asked Dahal and Baidya about Thapa´s candidacy, which was the buzz. Dahal was of the opinion that the NC and UML would join the government if the four-point deal was scrapped. Baidya and Thapa were also opposed to the four-point deal. "While negotiating the formation of a consensus government, we should be careful not to let the post of prime minister get snatch from our hands," a leader quoted Dahal as saying. According to him, Baidya stated that his faction has already made public its view that Bhattarai is against the decisions of the Palungtar plenum, the central committee and even the politburo. He said he is against the BIPPA agreement with India, the four-point deal between Madhes-based parties and the seven-point deal among the major political parties. "We have already declared that the significance of your [Bhattarai´s] government is over. So we have floated Badalji´s name for the post of prime minister," a leader quoted Baidya as saying. According to party insiders, Baidya had floated Thapa´s name for the next prime minster during his meeting with UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal the other day and the latter had asked Baidya to take the NC into confidence. Some party cadres facing criminal cases for acts committed during the insurgency were also present at the meeting. According to Maoist leader Khadga Bahadur Biswakarma, who was also there, Dahal and Bhattarai had assured the party cadres that they would take initiatives to withdraw the criminal cases.