Kathmandu, June 11

Senior leaders of the major opposition parties -Nepali Congress and CPN-UML- Monday urged President Dr Ram Barn Yadav not to issue the ordinances recommended without political consensus by the caretaker government.

They argued that the government was only caretaker and it had no authority to bring the ordinances without political consensus.

The senior leaders went to call on the President at Shital Niwas after holding a joint meeting at NC general secretary Praksh Man Singh’s residence at Chaksibari.

After the meeting with the President, NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel said that the President Dr. Yadav told them that he would take decision on the matter based on constitution and political consensus.

"We said that the President should not issue ordinance without political consensus as per the constitution," UML senior leader and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said after the meeting.

The move of the opposition parties comes at a time when reports said that the government was preparing to introduce annual budget through ordinance and three separate bills related to anti money laundering.

In a separate press statement issued on the occasion, the NC and UML said that attempt to rule the country through ordinances is a violation of democratic values and ill-intended.

The statement said, "We request the President not to issue the ordinances recommended by the Prime Minister against the constitution and consensus."

NC President Sushil Koirala and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal have signed the statement.

NC President Koirala, Vice-chairman Paudel and UML Chairman Khanal, senior leader Nepal, among others, were present during the meeting with the President.

The joint meeting of the NC and UML held at NC general secretary Prakash Man Singh’s resident at Chaksibari decided that the government plan to carry out different works through ordinance was unconstitutional.

The meeting warned the government not to issue the ordinance, stating that such move would be unconstitutional.

NC leader Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said issuing ordinance was unacceptable for NC and UML.

"The two-party meeting decided to condemn such unconstitutional act of government and ask the President to stop the ordinance," he said.

UML Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam said that the government plan to issue ordinance is an intention of power capture.

Meanwhile, NC and UML also held meeting with other parties at NC central office at Sanepa and decided to submit a memorandum to the President on Tuesday not to issue ordinance recommended by the government.