The meeting between the two parties at the Prime Minister´s official residence also decided that the talks with the opposition parties would focus on ways to convert the current government into a national consensus government. [break]
The two parties said they will hold talks with the opposition on package deal only if attempts to give the current government a shape of national consensus fails.
The Maoists and UDMF´s decision came at a time when the extended deadline to name a consensus prime minister also expired on Wednesday.
"The government can not be changed without agreement on package deal," Rajkishor Yadav, spokesperson of the government, told Republica. According to him, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had briefed on the negotiations with the opposition parties. Earlier, Dahal had met President Ram Baran Yadav at his official residence Shital Niwas.
Opposing the Maoists and UDMF decisions of package deal, Nepali Congress was not ready to compromise on constitutional issues in exchange for the prime minister´s post.
The package deal which the ruling parties are pushing, requires the opposition parties to be ready to guarantee the contents of the new constitution like federalism, secularism and republicanism.
Another condition of the package is opposition parties should be ready to amend the laws related to election, and should be ready to fix the date of fresh election of constituent assembly while government already announced for mid April.
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