“We held preliminary discussions over the demands but we found that most of them can not be met. We will, however, hold talks on some of the issues,” Nepali Congress (NC) Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel told media persons after the HLPC meeting held at the International Convention Center, New Baneshwar on Wednesday. [break]
Leaders from the alliance that have announced to boycott the polls had submitted an 18-point demand during their first formal talks with HLPC leaders held on Tuesday.
“Given their demands, they do not seem interested in participating in the coming elections,” said CPN-UML politburo member Raghuji Pant, while emerging from the meeting. He said the demands of dissident groups to put off all the election programs and to scrap election-related procedures and starting it anew is not possible.
Pant, however, was quick to add that HLPC parties were ready to demonstrate flexibility if the Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist and other dissident parties sincerely come forward with the motive to join the election process.
The agitating alliance has demanded postponement of polls scheduled for November 19 and all other election-related activities for now. They have also demanded annulment of the 25-point ordinance that paved the way for the formation of the present chief justice-led government, dissolution of HLPC, all-party roundtable conference, formation of a national consensus government and a fully proportional electoral system for CA polls.
UCPN (Maoist) leader Narayankaji Shrestha said the HLPC constituent parties have begun interparty discussions on the demands placed by the agitating groups. He said they would hold decisive talks with the dissident groups in the next couple of days.
Leaders said they will hold separate intra-party discussions before holding the next round of talks with the agitating groups.
HLPC is to hold formal talks with the Ashok Rai-led Federal Socialist Party (FSP) on Thursday. FSP has announced to boycott the elections if their demands are not met.
HLPC also held dialogues with an alliance of eight political parties led by Upendra Yadav of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum. FSP and the Yadav-led coalition, however, have placed relatively soft demands.
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