After a deadly earthquake devastated much of central Nepal, opposition parties have started to press for a national government.

Opposition parties say reconstruction and rehabilitation works can be undertaken only by a government that represents all political forces. They say constitution writing process and rehabilitation of the earthquake survivors should now be carried out simultaneously by a stronger government.

After the 25 April earthquake killed more than 8,000 people and destroyed 600,000 houses, some opposition as well as ruling party leaders had underlined the need for a national government in the parliament. But after a powerful aftershock killed more than 100 people on 12 May, attention was again diverted to rescue and relief works.

As the country gears up for the enormous task of reconstruction and rehabilitation, opposition party leaders have again started to press for a national government. After UCPN (Maoist) Vice Chair Baburam Bhattarai demanded a national government to undertake effective and transparent reconstruction works, MJF (Democratic) Chair Bijay Gachhadar also stood for the same.

Talking to journalists in Biratnagar on Saturday, Gachhadar claimed that talks with ruling party leaders were underway and a national government will be formed within two weeks. Janjati leaders like Padma Ratna Tuladhar and Om Gurung have also sought a national government to break the political deadlock and carry out reconstruction works.

Before the earthquake overshadowed political negotiations, the ruling NC-UML and the opposition Maoist-Madhesi were still at loggerheads over the contents of the new constitution. However, the main opposition UCPN (Maosit) was looking for an excuse to persuade its hard-liner allies and agree on passing the new constitution by writing a note of dissent on the disputed issues like federalism.

Political analysts say the earthquake is a face-saving opportunity for opposition parties to join the government and put an end to their joint agitation that apparently failed to put pressure on the ruling parties.

An NC leader told Nepali Times that forming a national government would be possibly only under the leadership of the current Prime Minister. "Opposition parties can join the present government and make it a national government, new Prime Minister cannot be elected at this time," he said.