PRESIDENTIAL MOVE CREATES A STORM Kathmandu, 24 Nov.: Friday’s appeal by President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav created a storm Saturday; the president received both support and brickbats. The political situation is crystallizing with UCPN Maoist opposed to the presidential request to form a national consensus government by Thursday and opposition supporting the head of state. Parties were huddled in inter and intra-party talks the whole day Saturday to determine party positions. Prachanda quoted the president as saying the ‘intension was for national consensus’ and ‘parties should go ahead with consensus for elections’. The Maoist boss said he met Dr.Yadav to clarify motives for Friday’s presidential action. ““The question has arises whether action was to takeover executive power.’ ” Prachand said to which the president added Friday’s move was for ‘consensus and elections” which should be held in April/May. A meeting of ruling UCPN Maoist in its second meeting at party headquarters at Pars Danda threatened to come out on the street against the presidential move. NC and UML held at meeting at Dhulikhel where they issued a joint statement after a conclave. Twenty-one parties supporting the ruling coalition called the presidential move unconstitutional and demanded the move be corrected.. NC and UML have called a meeting of 15 opposition parties Sunday to discuss the crisis created by the presidential move. ”The action of the president was ‘Positive and welcome. We will talk with all parties,” UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal said The UML asked NC to select its candidate to replace Baburam Bhattarai; Maoists also asked other parties to .nominate a candidate for prime minister. Meanwhile, a meeting of the Big Three--Maoists, NC, UML- was inconclusive Saturday and the main political players agreed to meet again. NC Vice-chairman Ram Chandra Padel said after a meeting of office bearers its party is convening a meting of its central committee to pursue discussions after senior leader SherBahadurDeuba returns Sunday from the far-West he’s touring.. Lawyers close to Maoists met Prime Minister Bhattarai said the president had no constitutional right to issue an appeal to assemble a national consensus government by Thursday. nnnn