KATHMANDU, Oct 10: A day before his visit to China, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday evening met Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter´s residence and agreed to end the prolonged House deadlock by making some amendments in the draft proposal prepared earlier by the NC and the CPN-UML. [break]
Maoist Chairman Dahal and NC President Koirala also agreed in principle to form a High Level Political Mechanism (HLPM) at the earliest to help resolve differences among political parties and bring the ongoing peace process to a logical end. The HLPM is likely to be formed after Dahal returns home. Dahal will return home on October 19.
The Maoists have been obstructing house proceedings demanding that a resolution motion they registered in parliament against president over his move to reinstate former army chief on May 3 be discussed in parliament. Speaker Subash Nembang has already rejected the Maoist demand as the two major parties - the NC and the UML-- vehemently opposed it.
Talking to media persons after an hour-long meeting with Koirala, Dahal said the talk teams of three parties -- NC, UML and the Maoist -- would continue dialogues to resolve the difference and end the protracted House deadlock. The Maoist Standing Committee meeting held recently has already said that the common draft proposal prepared jointly by the NC and the UML to some extent tries to address the Maoist concerns, though not in the way the Maoist actually wanted, said Dahal. “We will provide the draft proposal to the NC and the UML after some amendments,” he further said.
Top political party leaders including Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, the Maoist Chairman Dahal and Koirala were scheduled to meet on Saturday evening, but the plan could not succeed as the UML Chairman Khanal was out of Kathmandu, while the prime minister was busy in another function.
NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who was also present in the meeting, said the meeting between the two top leaders ended on positive note.
Asked if the NC had softened its stance over the Maoist demand, Sitaula said the NC was firm on its stance and that it would not drag the president in any kind of controversy.
Prime Minister Nepal and UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel had reached Koirala´s residence 10 minutes after Dahal left the venue. Koirala is scheduled to hold a separate meeting with UML Chairman Khanal on Sunday morning.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
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