KATHMANDU: The CPN (UML) and Nepali Congress have decided to try their best to consolidate the rational demands of the dissenting Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal and CPN-Maoist to bring both the parties on board the CA elections.

The leaders of the CPN (UML) and Nepali Congress also agreed to bring the MJF-Nepal and CPN-Maoist in the high-level political committee (HLPC) as all political parties are required to participate in the CA elections.

Likewise, the NC and UML leaders have also stood firm on the provision of the threshold and continuing the previously decided 240 constituencies.

However, the UCPN (Maoist), Madhes-centric political parties and other fringe parties have been sticking to the same provision of the first CA polls even this in the upcoming CA polls.       

KATHMANDU: finally, the four major political forces have reached an agreement on all contentious issues to form an election government except the rank to be given to the former Maoist combatants.

A meeting of the top leaders of the major political foces—UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and Madhesi Morcha—held this evening almost wrapped all the contentious issues including the formation of the truth and reconciliation commission and clearing legal hindrances to pave a way for the CJ-led government.

The next meeting scheduled for tomorrow would give a final touch to all the issues, leaders said after the meeting.

Nepali Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba said all the issues have been agreed except that of the ranks of the former Maoist combatants. “Today’s agreement will be given final shape considering the legal procedures and the decision of the Court”, he said.

Likewise, UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman said the taskforce comprising senior leaders of the major parties would meet with legal practitioners tomorrow and give final shape to the language and content of the agreement.

“We have been successful in taking the deliberations to a decisive state and an agreement will now be reached among the parties to hold elections within June”, he said. The process of handing over the government leadership would also be agreed within a few days, Shrestha added.

The 8-member taskforce is doing its homework for long to prepare a ground to handover the responsibility of election government to the sitting CJ.

The taskforce would prepare a document to submit to the top leaders regarding the format of removing legal and constitutional hindrances before submitting to the President after approving from the council of ministers.

The meeting would also dwelt on the issues of appointment in constitutional bodies, CA elections and others. Two leaders from each major political parties including Krishna Bahadur Mahara of UCPN (Maoist), Minendra Rijal of Nepali Congress, Bhim Rawal of CPN (UML) and others are representing the taskforce.

According to NC senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, today’s meeting also constituted a 8-member task force comprising two leaders from each political party—UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and Madhesi Morcha.

Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Khimlal Devkota from the UCPN (Maoist), Bhim Rawal and Agni Kharel from the UML, Bimalendra Nidhi and Minendra Rijal from the NC, and Hridayesh Tripathi and Jitendra Dev are in the taskforce.

KATHMANDU: After a long gap, Nepal’s President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai today held discussions regarding the way to end the ongoing political debate. The political and constitutional crises in the country is deepening due to power -centric politics of the major political parties, analysts believe.

The opposition parties are taking to the streets and obstructing the Prime Minister’s visits to the districts while the coalition parties have also denied the oppositions’ demand to quit the government.

During the meeting held at the President’s Office, two two discussed the  ways to end the ongoing political and constitutional crises, it is said.

Briefly talking to media after the discussions with the President, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai said discussions were underway to hold the CA elections by May after ending the present deadlock. The  Prime Minister said the only way to end the present crises is to focus on elections, not the government’s resignation.

After the meeting with the Prime Minister, the President also discussed with the top leaders of the major political parties and asked why the consensus was elusive and encouraged the leaders to forge consensus.

Top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) had reached the President’s Office to meet the head of the state.

After the meeting, the opposition leaders traded charges against the government and ruling parties while the UCPN (Maoist) leaders say that the opposition parties were fearing from the elections.

Talking to media, NC vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel said the President should take a concrete step to end the crisis as the President’s siding for the coalition parties has also lingering the stalemate.