Kathmandu, May 28:

President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav said Monday that he would take necessary steps after holding consultations regarding the recommendation of the Prime Minister to go for a fresh Constituent Assembly elections.

Speaking with the leaders of the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal, ruling Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik and Rastiya Janashakti Party after the dissolution of the CA and the government’s announcement of fresh elections, the President said that he would do the needful after looking into the matters.

"I heard your views. I will play necessary role after studying the matters," NC vice president Ram Chandra Poudel quoted the President as saying.

Sources at Shital Niwas said that the President objected to the procedures to announce the elections and appraise the President of the move before the expiry of the CA.

Poudel, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat and Prakash Man Singh from the Nepali Congress, chairman Jhalanath Khanal, Madhav Kumar Nepal, K. P. Oli, Bidhya Bhandari and Agni Kharel from UML, Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani from Rastriya Janashakti Party, Uprendra Yadav of MJF-Nepal, Sarat Singh Bhandari of MJF-Loktantrik met the President to complain about the government’s election move.

The leaders asked the President to remove Dr. Baburam Bhattarai from the post of Prime Minister as the interim constitution 2007 had no provision to have a prime minister who is not a member of parliament.

"The constitution should be amended before announcing the CA elections. But the PM announced elections without making the amendment," Poudel said.

The election announcement is unconstitutional and irrelevant. The PM has lost legal authority to continue in office, he added.

CPN-UML chief Khanal said that PM Dr. Bhattarai’s move was against democracy.

"On what basis was the election announced at a time when we have no Election Act?" he questioned. "It was an intention to spread anarchy in the society."

Khanal said that they would seek constitutional and political remedies to oust Prime Minister.

Likewise, Upendra Yadav said that the decision to announce election was unconstitutional as the PM announced it when the CA term was yet to expire.

"It is the Maoist ploy to capture the state power," he said.

The leaders issued a joint statement asking the PM to step down to give a way out to the country.

What the leaders said

Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ (10 pm, Singha Durbar, after 3-party meet)

Now we are running out of time. We have failed to forge agreement despite hectic discussions. Therefore, possibility of building constitution by the evening has ended now. We cannot save the CA. I am going for my party’s Standing Committee meeting to discuss whether we should go for state of emergency or transform the CA into a Parliament to carry on works about constitution.

CP Gajurel (9 pm, CA building premises)

As the largest party, our party and as its chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ should take the moral responsibility of the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly without promulgating the constitution. As a leader, I am sorry for the failure of the CA. However, as a CA member I fulfilled my duties. In fact, all the CA members did so as they presented reports of their respective thematic committees. It’s the so-called top leaders that made the CA a hostage and caused its failure. The role of foreign powers is also responsible for the failure of the CA.

Dr Ram Saran Mahat (talking to reporters at 10 pm)

The CA is getting dissolved. The government is heading to declare a state of emergency. The interim constitution has no provision of new election, so we proposed for reforming the present parliament to work on constitution. But the Maoist and Madhesi leaders did not show interest. Except for the Maoists and the Madhesi, all the other parties are for fresh CA election keeping the present parliament.

Upendra Yadav (talking to reporters)

At the meeting at Baluwatar I asked the leaders of the ruling parties to present what agreement they had made so far. But they said they had made none. I asked them all to move to the CA hall, but they rejected. Then I knew that instead of dwelling on constitution promulgation, the leaders were talking about other issues.

Narayan Man Bijukchhe (11 PM, CA building)

It is sad that even at this eleventh hour neither the Prime Minister nor the CA chairman has come to inform the House about the latest development. We were called here for 11 am and now leaving this place without any authentic information as to why the CA meet schedule for today did not take place. This is utter negligence towards the CA.