Top political leaders discuss contemporary issues with Prez Bhandari

KATHMANDU, Aug 19: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has drawn the attention of senior leaders of major three parties— Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) on various contemporary issues including flooding, inundation and landslide witnessed in various parts of the country and the constitution amendment bill registered in the parliament and foreign policy.

At a meeting with the senior leaders at her official residence, Sheetal Niwas, President Bhandari urged them to give top priority to the ongoing rescue relief and rehabilitation efforts in the disaster-hit areas and adopt measures not to allow the spread of epidemic and other problems there.

According to NC senior leader Ramchandra Poudel, who was present in the meeting, the President urged the leaders to adopt effective measures to control such disasters with short-term, mid-term and long-term plans.

In the meeting, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba told the President that the government was committed to reaching the relief assistance to the survivors and was adopting measures to search for those still missing in the disaster.

Similarly, the leaders jointly briefed the President that they were together to tackle the disaster and to create environment conducive for upcoming local poll in Province-2, scheduled for September 18.

NC President and Prime Minister Deuba, senior leader Poudel, CPN-MC Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha, CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli and Vice-Chair Bamdev Gautam were present in the discussion.

During the around two hours long meeting, the President also suggested the senior leaders to come up with a common foreign policy as a change in the policy along with a change in the government was not in the interest of the nation, according to leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha. The President urged the leaders to seek a solution through friendly diplomatic channel a solution to the problem of inundation that overwhelms Nepal’s southern territory every year, and to come up with a short-term, mid-term and long-term plan to address the natural disaster.

On a different note, the President also urged the political parties to come to a consensus on the matter of amendment to the new constitution, according to UML Vice-Chair Gautam. He however said that the ruling parties had not approached the UML for a dialogue to forge a consensus on the matter. RSS