This report is issued by the UN RCHCO with inputs from its UN Field Coordination Offices and other partners and sources. The report covers November 2012. The next report will be issued the first week of January 2013.
CONTEXT
Political update Politics in Nepal remained deadlocked in November, with the political parties unable to deliver on the President‟s call for a consensus Prime Minister candidate by 29 November. In response, the President has extended the deadline twice, now asking parties to announce a consensus candidate by 12 December. Despite some optimistic statements, the political parties have struggled to find common ground amongst their substantial political differences. The opposition Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist Party of Nepal - United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) have sought a government led by an NC leader. The government coalition of parties has insisted that the opposition should join the current government under Prime Minister Bhattarai in exchange for access to powerful ministerial portfolios. Further, the parties in government offered a range of possible Prime Ministerial candidates from within their own ranks. The opposition has rejected these offers and so-called „independent‟ or neutral alternatives for the Premiership have been discussed as a last resort. The political parties will need to reach a solution in December if spring elections (April or May 2013) are going to be operationally possible.