Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The ruling coalition is struggling to reach a consensus on a common candidate for the post of president.
The two senior leaders of the coalition, Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, have been holding several meetings to resolve the issue, but so far, no agreement has been reached.
The CPN-UML has been arguing that it should get the post of President as per the understanding reached with the coalition partners. On the other hand, the Maoist Center has been advocating for the election of the President on the basis of national consensus. These divergent views have created a deadlock in the coalition, and the situation is becoming increasingly tense as the deadline for candidate registration draws near.
To make matters worse, there are speculations that the Maoist Center may support the candidate of the Nepali Congress which will further erode the coalition’s unity. Some Nepali Congress (NC) leaders are saying that the party will support Dahal for a full five-year term if his party supports NC’s candidate in the presidential election. NC General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa’s comments last week that this coalition will collapse in 10 days suggest that there could be some agreement between the NC and the Maoist Center regarding presidential election.
Dahal and Oli have increased the frequency of meetings as they try to forge a consensus on the matter. In their most recent meeting, the two leaders discussed the need to give full shape to the cabinet. Many ministries are lying vacant after the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) exited the government to protest the refusal to give the home portfolio to it.
UML sources say the two leaders also discussed the possible role of the RSP in the coalition government. However, the most pressing issue remains the selection of a common candidate for the presidential election.
According to the election program published by the Election Commission, the candidacies for the post of President have to be registered by February 25. If the coalition fails to name its common candidate for the presidency by that time, it would mean that the coalition is on the verge of collapse.
There are fears that growing differences among the two largest coalition partners regarding the presidential election could affect the coalition. This is the last thing that the Nepali people want as the nation is longing for stability in this post-pandemic period and economic crisis. The country, therefore, needs a stable government to address these pressing issues and move forward.
