Major four extend new govt deadline by three days

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, Aug 5 - The four major parties—CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress (NC), UML and Madhesi People’s Rights Fourm (MPRF)—in a crucial meeting held Tuesday at Singha Durbar extended the deadline to form a new national consensus government by three days.

The joint meeting at the Maoist parliamentary party office set up a taskforce comprising leaders of the four parties to create an environment of trust and to end the political deadlock, leaders attending the meeting said.

As the deadline given by the President to the Maoists to form a national unity government by a week ended today, the Maoists came up with the idea to request President Ram Baran Yadav to extend the deadline by three days.

Maoist leader Dev Gurung and UML’s Bhim Rawal will be the members of the taskforce, while the NC and the MPRF have not decided who will be representing the taskforce.
NC leader and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel and MPRF coordinator Upendra Yadav informed that they will finalise their respective representative by this evening.

The meeting reportedly also discussed the draft of programmes and policies floated by the Maoists, as part of their bid to form a national unity government.
Likewise, issues such as the implementation of past agreements, drafting a new constitution and taking the peace process to a logical end were also discussed at the meeting.

According to NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has invited the top leaders of the four parties to his official residence at Baluwatar.
The meeting at the Maoist parliamentary party office was expected to finalise the structure of the future government.

The major parties’ joint meeting appeared to occur at the eleventh-hour after President Dr Ram Baran Yadav had called on the major parties to form a national consensus government by one week.

Earlier today, the Maoists and CPN-UML leaders discussed the formation of the post-election government.

During the meeting held at the UML’s parliamentary party office at Singha Durbar, the Maoists reportedly proposed the UML to form a majority government if the parties failed to forge an agreement for a consensus government.

However, the UML have stressed on a national consensus government.
Talking to journalists after the meeting, former UML General Secretary Mahdav Kumar Nepal informed that the two communist parties consulted to mend their souring relations after the presidential elections.

Nepal said that the meeting centred on forging a consensus among the parties but not to discuss power-sharing.

The four largest parties had agreed to hold a crucial meeting today to make their final positions clear on participation in the future government possibly to be led by the Maoists as the largest party in the CA.