A meeting of top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and CPN-UML held at the residence of NC President Girija Prasad Koirala also set out the HLPM´s objectives and a code of conduct for individual political parties included in the mechanism. [break]
The big three parties have charted out the objectives of the HLPM in the wake of leaders of various political parties raising questions about the mechanism´s mandate and objectives.
Top leaders of the respective parties can include other members in the HLPM. While the prime minister will be an invitee member of the body, top leaders of other political parties in the Constituent Assembly will also be included in due course, according to party leaders.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal termed the decision to finalize the ToR ´historic´. “This has brought to an end differences that surfaced among the political parties,” he said.
The ToR signed by NC President Koirala, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and UML Chairman Khanal entrusts the HLPM with seven different tasks including forging consensus among political parties to end the protracted political deadlock, forming separate sub-committees on various issues related to peace and constitution-drafting to facilitate the work of bodies concerned and reviewing and implementing past agreements between the government and the Maoists.
Formation of various commissions as provisioned in the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) and the Interim Constitution, making public the whereabouts of those disappeared during the conflict time, and returning property seized by the Maoists in various parts of the country are also among tasks entrusted to the body.
As per the ToR, the HLPM meeting set to be held every week will take all its decisions through consensus among all political parties in the mechanism. The HLPM can amend its ToR as and when deemed necessary.
As per the code of conduct prepared Friday, political parties are now to refrain from attacking rival party cadres and also stop levelling accuations at rival parties in speech and writing. The parties are also to immediately resolve at the levels concerned any differences that surface among them and give emphasis to resolving problems based on consensus.
NC, UML and the Maoists on January 8 formed a three-member HLPM under the chairmanship of NC President Koirala to help resolve the widening differences that have emerged among the major political parties in the aftermath of the Constituent Assembly election of April, 2008. The main objective of the HLPM is to help take the ongoing peace process to a logical end and accomplish the task of drafting a new constitution within the stipulated deadline.
Maoists withdraw indefinite banda
The UCPN (Maoist) on Friday withdrew its indefinite general strike scheduled to begin January 24.
A meeting of Maoist office bearers held on Friday afternoon took a decision to this effect, saying they expected a consensus through the HLPM anytime soon to end the protracted deadlock. The HLPM meeting held on Friday has placed ending the protracted political deadlock in top priority under the ToR.
A press statement issued by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said their nationwide protest program aimed at ensuring civil supremacy and national independence will, however, remain unchanged. Dahal said they expect the HLPM to arrive at a consensus soon to end the protracted political deadlock, bring the peace process to a logical conclusion and complete the constitution drafting.
Earlier, during the HLPM meeting, the NC and UML had asked the Maoists to withdraw their protests. The Maoist leadership had assured them that they would withdraw the protests after holding discussions within the party.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
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