KATHMANDU, APR 05 -
The High Level Political Committee on Thursday agreed to hold talks with the agitating CPN-Maoist and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum to bring them onto the election bandwagon.
The cross-party mechanism has assigned UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to bring the agitating parties to the talks table.
The move comes in view of a nationwide agitation by an alliance of smaller parties led by the CPN-Maoist against the current government and their disruption of election-related activities.
The UCPN (Maoist), the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the Samyukta Lokatantrik Morcha have said their decision is intended to create an atmosphere conducive to the polls .
“Since we wish to involve all the agitating parties in the election process, we have decided to talk to them. Currently, our number one priority is to bring the CPN-Maoist in the election process,” said UML Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam.
The breakaway Maoists have said they will not hold talks with the four parties and the incumbent government until a new consensus roadmap is prepared by scrapping last month’s deal regarding the formation of the chief justice-led government.
“We will sit for talks with the President only if the major parties agree to correct their unconstitutional step,” said CPN-Maoist spokesperson Pampha Bhusal. There are more than 50 fringe parties in the alliance led by the breakaway Maoists. They have demanded the formation of a partisan government to conduct an election.
Four major forces are optimistic that the MJF, led by Yadav, will not take a hard line and will go to the polls . Taking to the Post on Thursday evening, Yadav said his party was yet to receive a formal invite for talks and would take a decision only after analysing the request.
“We will not contest elections in status quo. The unconstitutional decision under which the current government was formed should be corrected to create an atmosphere for the polls ,” he said.
Meanwhile fresh differences have surfaced between the major parties regarding the announcement of the election date.
In Thursday’s meeting of the high-level committee, the Maoists and the Madhesi Morcha demanded that the poll date should be fixed without delay.
The two parties stressed that the government and the Election Commission should immediately announce the date—for June or for November. NC and UML leaders are against declaring the date without setting the scene for the polls .
Major parties and the Election Commission have already acknowledged that the proposed Constituent Assembly election will not be possible in June.
NC and UML leaders have said the government and the EC should be technically ready for an election before the announcement of the polling day.
Posted on: 2013-04-05 08:47
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