A meeting of HLPC held at its Secretariat in New Baneshwar on Saturday also decided to ask the Interim Election Council of Ministers to fully focus on its mandated tasks of holding elections in November. “The main duty of the current government is accomplish the task of holding election. We have decided to draw the attention of the government not to take any decisions having long-term consequences,” UCPN (Maoist) Vice Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha told media persons after the meeting. [break]
The HLPC decision comes in the wake of Supreme Court (SC) on Monday issuing an interim order against the agreement with India to allow the latter to upgrade the immigration system at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and to set up Indian immigration check points in Lumbini and Pashupatinagar.
After hearings on a writ petition filed by Advocate Shree Prasad Pandit, a single bench of Justice Tarka Raj Bhatta ordered the government not to proceed with “points 21 and 25 of the agreed minutes of the meeting between the home secretaries of Nepal and India” until the apex court´s final verdict.
Top leaders of all parties represented in HLPC had taken strong exception to the agreement reached at the home-secretary level between Nepal and India on June 1 in Kathmandu. They had concluded that the government may continue taking similar decisions if not cautioned on time.
Shrestha said top leaders of all parties represented in HLPC are scheduled to hold a meeting with Chairman of Interim Election Council of Minister Khil Raj Regmi Sunday afternoon to draw government´s attention on the issue. The meeting will also dwell on the government´s preparations for elections.
UML leader Raghuji Panta told media persons that the HLPC meeting decided to direct the government and Election Commission to expedite necessary preparations for the elections.
HLPC hails Baidya´s decision to form talks team
While welcoming the decision of Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist to form a talks team, the HLPC meeting on Saturday decided to hold “decisive” talks with the agitating party, according to Panta.
Sources said CPN-Maoist leaders have assured HLPC that they would inform about the time and venue for talks by 10am Sunday. “We have taken the decision of Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist to form talks team positively. We have decided to hold talks and take it to a positive conclusion,” said Shrestha.
The agitating CPN-Maoist expressed readiness for talks after the HLPC meeting earlier agreed to hold an all-party political conference and reconstitute HLPC with inclusion of Upendra Yadav-led Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Nepal, Ashok Rai-led Federal Socialist Party and CPN-Maoist.
According to a source, UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front are currently holding informal talks with the Baidya-led Maoists. “Mohan Baidya, Ram Bahadur Thapa and Netra Bikram Chand have told us that they would fix the time and venue for talks by 10 am Sunday,” said the source.
The HLPC meeting on Saturday also concluded that they should hold decisive talks with all agitating parties without any further delay. “We are hopeful that they would eventually join the election process,” said an NC leader participating in the talks.
Appointments of ambassadors soon
The HLPC meeting on Saturday also discussed making appointments of ambassadors in the long-vacant posts and also giving full shape to the constitutional bodies.
“We had a brief discussion on appointments today. There is agreement among the parties that this issue should be settled without delay,” said UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Shrestha. The next HLPC meeting likely to be held on Monday will take necessary decisions on the appointments.
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