KATHMANDU (AFP) — Nepal's president has invited former Maoist rebels to form the first government in the world's newest republic in a bid to end weeks of political deadlock, according to a statement Wednesday.
President Ram Baran Yadav gave the Maoists seven days to form the administration. Political wrangling has left Nepal without a formal government since it became a republic in late May after abolishing its monarchy.
The president "has called on the Maoists party to forge a political consensus for the appointment of the prime minister and formation of council of ministers within seven days," said a statement by the president's office.
The Maoists emerged as the single largest party in a newly-elected, 601-seat assembly that will produce the impoverished country's new constitution within two years.
But a dispute over which party should head the government has left Nepal in political limbo since the assembly scrapped the 240-year-old Hindu monarchy and declared the Himalayan nation a federal democratic republic.
Nepal was plunged into political crisis last week when the Maoists declared they would not form the first post-royal government after the defeat of their candidate for president.
Yadav, who won the presidential contest, is from the Nepali Congress party, the main rival to the Maoists.
But the former rebels, who won more than a third of seats in polls, later said they were willing to lead a new administration as long as certain conditions were met.
Those included demands for a guarantee from the other three main rival political blocs that they would make no attempt to topple their government for at least two years.
They also want rival parties to agree to allow them to push through a "minimum programme" that includes revolutionary land reforms.
The Maoists, who waged a deadly revolt for 10 years, want to overturn what they call a "feudal," caste-ridden system.
The other parties had earlier expressed reluctance to accept Maoist demands.
"Our party has already decided against the demands made by the Maoists. They are not in a position to make such demands," said Nepali Congress general secretary Kul Bahadur Gurung.
He said it was the responsibility of the Maoists to try and garner support and "not make demands".
Political analyst Bhaskar Gautam said there was a strong chance the Maoists would not win enough support which would "prolong this government formation process even further."
"The main political parties have not been able to forge any consensus in the last four months," he noted.
Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara told AFP talks with the other parties were under way and the party hoped to "reach a consensus soon."
"We want to join hands with all the political forces. The political parties have asked for our programme and policy proposals... We're discussing those," Mahara said.
If the talks failed it would be the fault of the other parties, he said.
"The monarchy has ended but the old mainstream parties are not ready for new economic and social reforms in the country," he told AFP.
The ultra-leftists' continued involvement in mainstream politics is seen as crucial to the survival of the peace process which ended Nepal's civil war.
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