Consensus or not, 'full budget' ordinance on Tuesday

The government has put off its plans to forward the budget ordinance to the President for yet another day, an aide to the Prime Minister told Nepalnews.

The government is preparing to submit the full-fledged ordinance to the President on Tuesday, regardless of how talks with opposition fare, said Biswodeep Pandey. He, however, said the ruling coalition will make last-ditch efforts to forge political consensus.

The government decided to postpone the ordinance for a day after President Ram Baran Yafav urged Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to do so.

The news comes as major political parties said they were yet to make headway in talks to bring the budget ordinance even after repeated calls from the Head of State to do so at the earliest.

"There has been no headway in talks to end the political crisis," said Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala after a meeting between leaders of major political parties and President Ram Baran Yadav, on Sunday."Only a government of national unity can bring the budget."

Earlier on Sunday, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (Loktantrik) chief and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar had also said the government will not bring a full-fledged budget in the absence of political consensus. nepalnews.com