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The Unified CPN (Maoist) on Monday said that it would not accept the budget for 2010/11 until Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigns. The Maoist leaders made it clear during a high-level meeting held to discuss the implementation of the recent three-point agreement signed between the Nepali Congress, the UML and the Maoists. Talking to reporters after the meeting, senior Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said his party would not allow the passage of the government policies and programmes and the budget until the prime minister tenders his resignation as per the three point deal that led to the extension of the Constituent Assembly. Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel said that the prime minister resignation would soon be followed by the Maoists implementation of the first point of the three-point agreement. According to the parliamentary regulations, the policies and programmes of the government can be presented only three weeks after the commencement of the budget session to allow lawmakers voice their opinion on the next year's budget. The Maoists had also delayed the budget for the year 2009/10 after obstructing normal business of the Parliament for five months demanding civilian supremacy in the country. Meanwhile, in a bid to garner consensus among the parties, Nepali Congress has expedite talks with the small parties. Nepali Congress has been claiming leadership in the to-be-formed government citing that the two governments--under the leadership of the UCPN (Maoist) and UML respectively- were unable to pilot the statute drafting, Nepalnews reported.

Nepal Maoists not to allow passage of budget until PM resigns