Nepali Congress and CPN-UML ask PM to resign

With the opposition baying for Baburam Bhattarai's resignation, Nepal's ruling Maoist chief Prachanda on Friday warned that the country will plunge into catastrophe if the Prime Minister quits before resolving the vexed Constitution-drafting issue.  "It is completely wrong on the part of the opposition parties Nepali Congress and CPN-UML to ask the Prime Minister to step down before agreeing on the key issue of the Constitution," Prachanda told the news agency.  "Political consensus is essential among the parties at this moment as there is no representative body in the country after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly," he said.  The 601-member Assembly, which had been extended four times since 2008, was dissolved on May 27 after parties failed to reach consensus on whether to adopt federal structure based on single ethnic identity or multi-ethnic identity.  Bhattarai has called fresh elections on November 22, after years of deadlock over the issue of a new Constitution.  Prachanda, also former prime minister, warned today that the country will plunge into catastrophe if Bhattarai resigns, leaving a power vacuum.  There is no alternative to building consensus among parties other than holding fresh elections for the Constituent Assembly or promulgating the Constitution through any other means, he said.  "Bhattarai and our party are prepared to quit the government after forging consensus among political parties," Prachanda promised.  "First of all it is important to forge consensus on the contentious issue of the Constitution."  Prachanda offered a package deal under which the Maoist government would quit through an agreement among political parties