Top leaders from Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist) and the Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) couldn't reach any conclusion during an hours-long meeting held at the prime minister's official residence at Baluwatar, Thursday evening."We all are for promulgating a new constitution that addresses the demands raised in the Tarai-Madhes districts. We at the meeting today decided to hold intra-party discussions within each party and take decisions by Saturday," said NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel.
The week-long deadline set by the Constituent Assembly to register amendments to the constitution bill is expiring on Saturday.
MPRF-D Chairman Bijay Gachchhadar said he has been pressing other leaders to address the demands of the agitating parties and various other groups.
"The problems can't be solved by promulgating a new constitution without any changes to the draft constitution," said Gachchhadar. "I have also told them clearly that the demands can be addressed by going for an eight-province federal model."
UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha said the talks couldn't make any headway mainly because of the UML leaders' rigidity.
"We are for addressing some genuine concerns of the agitating sides. But UML leaders are for promulgating the new constitution without making big changes to the draft constitution," said Shrestha.
Sources said UML leaders argue that once some changes are made to the draft that may encourage other groups to make new demands also.
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