Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has concluded that the government of KP Sharma Oli cannot be toppled until CPN (Maoist Center) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal withdraws its support for the government.
"The Supreme Court verdict has turned CPN into CPN-UML and Maoist Center. Both the Parties are in the government. This is, therefore, a coalition government," Deuba said addressing a program in Dharan on Tuesday. "Dahal has not called back ministers from his party and Oli has not dismissed Maoist ministers."
Deuba knows very well that the Oli government will be in majority until Maoist Center takes back its support.
Maoist Center has urged its lawmakers to leave the government but the ministers have yet to resign while the party has not taken action against the ministers who have continued to serve in the Oli Cabinet.
Deuba urged NC leaders and cadres to not go by the reports claiming he is not interested in becoming prime minister (PM) pointing that NC cannot form the government even if it were to wish so until Maoist Center takes back its support from the current government.
Deuba understands that it will be futile to try to form a new government as long as Oli has majority. "We cannot seek confrontation as long as there is majority government. We are opposition party. We have to expand organization now and fight. We have to work hard for the coming days."
He reiterated his claim that he will not show desperation to get premiership but will not shy away from the responsibility should an opportunity arise.
Senior Leader of NC Ram Chandra Paudel urged Deuba to take initiative to topple the current government and form a new one pointing at the unconstitutional deeds of Oli during the meeting of office-bearers and former office-bearers at the party's central office in Sanepa on Monday. But Deuba responded that the right time has yet to arrive.
"The politics can take a new turn any time. Janata Samajwadi Party can split. Rashtriya Janata Party may play a role to prolong Oli government if it were to be revived. President Deuba is, therefore, saying we should deeply analyze all possible outcomes," a leader close to Deuba confided with Setopati.
The leader called Deuba's caution a case of once bitten, twice shy pointing how Dahal had allied with Oli-led UML for the last general election even as Deuba was leading a coalition government supported by Maoist Center. "They cannot be trusted also because Dahal has yet to withdraw support from Oli government," the leader opined.
Deuba says that communists can always kiss and make up using the archaic tool of self-criticism. The Paudel faction and that led by Krishna Sitaula stress that NC should try to topple the Oli government and form a new one with support of Maoist Center and JSP.
But Deuba is focused more on contesting for party presidency in the 14th general convention, according to the leader, than becoming PM for now.
