A HLCP meeting, held at its secretariat at New Baneshwar Saturday morning, also reached an informal agreement to increase the number of seats under the proportional electoral system in an apparent bid to woo the agitating parties into poll participation.
"In view of the demands of the agitating parties, we have reached an agreement to hold an all-party political conference before going for Constituent Assembly elections," said a leader participating in the HLPC meeting.
The leader, asking for anonymity, said they believe such a conference would not only honor one of the key demands put forth by the Baidya-led Maoists, but also pave the way for forming a new political mechanism similar to the HLCP, of which all the agitating parties can become a part with full dignity. Various agitating parties have been demanding the dissolution of the HLPC as a precondition for talks.
Top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) together are scheduled to hold an informal meeting with CPN-Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidya, most likely on Sunday, to convey their fresh proposals. "But we are firm in our stance that an elected constituent assembly should promulgate the new constitution," the leader further said.
The agreement was reached in line with a decision to exercise maximum flexibility to woo the agitating parties while remaining within the spirit of the 11-point political agreement and the 25-point ordinance endorsed by the president to remove constitutional difficulties.
UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the HLPC meeting on Saturday discussed in detail ways to bring the Baidya-led Maoists on board the election process, particularly in view of the party officially deciding to actively boycott the upcoming CA poll. "Among other things, there has been an informal agreement to increase the number of seats allocated for the proportional electoral system," Shrestha told Republica.
Earlier, the parties in the HLPC had decided to allocate 240 seats each for first past the post electoral and the proportional electoral system with 11 others to be nominated by the cabinet. But as the ratio for the proportional electoral system was reduced from almost 58 percent to less than 50 percent as compared to the erstwhile CA, various agitating parties have been demanding that the ratio between the two different electoral systems, if not the exact number of seats, should be maintained.
Talking to media after the meeting, UML leader Raghuji Panta said the HLPC decided to be flexible in addressing the demands raised by the Baidya-led Maoists, except with regard to the demand for dissolution of the current Khil Raj Regmi-led poll government. "If the Regmi-led government is dissolved, the country will have to face further political instability," he said adding that the Regmi government must be allowed to hold the election scheduled for November 19.
Among other things, the HLPC meeting while reaffirming its commitment to holding polls on the stipulated date, decided to direct both the government and the Election Commission to expedite necessary preparations for the poll.
The meeting also concluded that the promulgation of a statute through the elected CA was the only way to resolve the political deadlock after the dissolution of the CA.
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