The parties took the decision to settle the contentious issues within the seven days remaining before the deadline after the small parties asked them during an all-party meeting at Singha Durbar to first arrive at consensus on the unsettled issues. “All the small parties have asked us to forge consensus among ourselves on those issues. We [Maoist, NC and UML] have decided to sit for talks on Sunday,” said UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal. [break]
Talking to media after the meeting, Chairman Khanal said they will try to settle all the contentious issues by February 12. “We will hold discussions on all the contentious issues. We are moving ahead towards concluding the peace and constitution drafting process within the remaining days,” he said.
The three parties are scheduled to have a dialogue at the level of two parties before sitting for a three-party meeting to resolve the issues that have surfaced over system of governance, federalism, judicial system, electoral system and citizenship, among other things.
Addressing the meeting, Speaker Subash Nembang urged the parties to sit for a dialogue and seek concrete results in resolving contentious issues that surfaced in the constitution drafting process. He also complained that there had not been any discussions at the Dispute Resolution Sub-Committee although there are only seven days left for resolving the thorny issues.
According to a party leader, Speaker Nembang also urged the three parties to arrive at a consensus to resume House business from Sunday. “There are some important bills pending. Nepal will be blacklisted if those bills are not endorsed by the House by February 13,” a party leader quoted Nembang as saying at the meeting.
Bills concerning money laundering, organized crime, the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and an extradition treaty have been pending for a long time.
Putting forth their views, 19 various small parties had argued at the meeting that the problem lay within the Maoist, NC and UML parties. The small parties also criticized the prime minister for his controversial remark that Nepal would become ´submerge´ if it failed to act as a dynamic bridge between India and China and for his avoidance of parliament after the cabinet decision to legalize conflict-era land deals.
Most of those speaking at the meeting criticized the report submitted by the State Restructuring Commission.
In his concluding remarks at the all-party meeting, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal assured the small parties that the meeting was not just a formality. “We have noted down all your suggestions. Since you have suggested to us to come up with a common viewpoint on all contentious issues, we will sit for another meeting with you all after we settle the issues at the three-party meeting,” Dahal said.
Dahal also assured that both integration and voluntary retirement would move ahead smoothly. “Voluntary retirement of the Maoist combatants has already started. Integration of the combatants would also start after discussions on some issues with NC and the UML in line with the seven-point agreement,” he said.
He underscored the need for collective efforts to accomplish the tasks of the peace and constitution drafting process.
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