Ruling coalition fails to reach consensus on election date

KATHMANDU: The morning meeting of the ruling coalition failed to reach an agreement on the date of local elections.

A meeting of the top leaders of the ruling coalition parties was held at the Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s residence in Baluwatar on Saturday morning to discuss the date for elections.

According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the meeting ended in the morning with an agreement to meet at 4 pm again after the internal discussion in the party.

“The coalition meeting will take place in the afternoon after the coalition partners discuss about the morning discussion in their respective parties,” a leader said after the meeting.

The top leaders of the ruling coalition including Prime Minister Deuba, CPN-Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, CPN-Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal attended the meeting.

However, Rastriya Janamorcha leaders did not join the meeting today.

The coalition government is under pressure after the Election Commission requested to set a date for holding local elections in April.

Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Deuba is under pressure to declare the local election date for April as his Central Working Committee meeting held yesterday urged him to do the same.