Statute disputes to get settled within next week : Dhungana

KATHMANDU, March 06: A Nepali Congress (NC) leader Ananda Dhungana has claimed that ruling and opposition parties will settle disputes regarding key constitutional issues within a week.

Leader Dhungana has said the formal talks between ruling and opposition sides set to begin tomorrow will produce concrete results in next seven days. Speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Friday , Dhungana has said PM Sushil Koirala and opposition leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda have already reached an understanding for that end on Friday morning.

The parties are planning to hold dialogues on the basis of understanding they reached on January 19, the leader revealed. Parties on both sides have already realised that there is no any alternative to consensus, he claimed while speaking at the program presided by the Club’s president Rishi Dhamala. They have almost reached consensus on form of governance, electoral system and judiciary, and are flexible to compromise on federalism also, according to Dhungana.

Speaking at the same function, UCPN-Maoist leader Agni Prasad Sapkota said his party is ready to decide which states the five disputed districts of Tarai region – Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kailali and Kanchanpur – belong to on the basis of people’s feedback. He also shared that parties have almost reached an agreement regarding form of governance, election system and judiciary. Sapkota also appreciated PM Koirala for his recent efforts to resume talks.

Meanwhile, CPN-UML central committee member Dr. Rajan Bhattarai suggested that top leaders expedite the constitution drafting with a mission to promulgate it by May 29, the Republic Day. Bhattarai has also stated that the top leaders should have to seek the consensus on disputed issues from the point of Magh 5 line.

Similarly, Vice- President of the Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum Loktantrik Rameshwor Raya Yadav has said that his party is ready to compromise in two states in the Madhesh while doing the restructuring of the state, on federalism.

Yadav blamed that the chairman of the Forum Nepal Upendra Yadav’s stand on one madhesh is not meaningful for Terai Madhesh. He said, ” Upendra Yadav will also accept the consensus from the decisive meeting’s result.”