Prez tells top leaders to forge consensus on contentious issues including budget

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav on Friday morning again urged the top leaders of four major political forces – UCPN (M), NC, CPN-UML and UDMF – to forge consensus at the earliest on wide-ranging thorny issues and end the existing political stalemate in the country.

In his second meeting with top political party leaders in Sheetal Niwas, Maharajgunj in just two weeks, President Yadav told the leaders that the parties are left with no alternatives but to forge consensus on contentious issues including upcoming budget, Constituent Assembly election and unity government. He urged the leaders to reach an understanding on these matters at the earliest and end the political as well as constitutional deadlock that ails the country.

While drawing the attention of the parties towards the fact that the partial budget brought by the government for the current fiscal year would not even be enough for this month, the President urged the government to forge consensus for the full budget.

At the same time, he warned that he will not endorse the budget – whether partial or full – if the government dares to bring it without seeking consensus of all the political parties on it.

In response, the top leaders of political parties said they are inching closer to forging consensus on contentious issues including the budget and expressed confidence that their efforts will be successful in ending the political stalemate. nepalnews.com