GODAVARI, Lalitpur, Dec 27: Top leaders of two largest parties of the ruling coalition, CPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML, met on Saturday to iron out outstanding problems in the running of the state affairs and improving their strained relations.
The leaders agreed, among others, to get buildings occupied by Maoist youth wing – the Young Communist League (YCL) vacated, and initiate immediately a process to return all private properties seized by Maoists in the past. [break] The leaders also agreed to try their best to bring main opposition, Nepali Congress (NC), onboard the political process.
The leaders are again meeting on Sunday, before reaching out to NC together. The CPN (Maoist) have failed on their several commitments on YCL and property issues in the past.
Talking to journalists after nearly seven-hour long meeting, UML leader Bhim Rawal said the leaders were unanimous on the view that there is no alternative to moving forward by removing all obstacles on the way.
Maoist spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma termed the meeting, which saw participation of all top leaders of both the parties, "historic". "We touched upon all outstanding issues," Sharma told reporters after the meeting, adding that the leaders also discussed the points where both the parties can agree upon.
"There is no alternative for both the parties to work together so as to lead the peace process to a logical conclusion, to make a new constitution, to defend nationalism and to institutionalize federal democratic republic," said Sharma.
Relations between the two parties are at a new low, thanks to clashes between youth wings of the two parties and no effective implementation of the common minimum program that was agreed at the time of government formation. UML´s Central Committee meeting that concluded on Thursday had sharply criticized Maoist activities and the modus operandi of the Prime Minister. They had also decided to caution Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Dahal saying that the Maoists should either mend their ways or else the “uncomfortable journey” of the two parties in government could not continue.
By the time the two leaders – Rawal and Sharma – finished talking to journalists, other top leaders had already vanished from the talks venue – Godavari Village Resort, which has hosted a number of political meetings of national importance in the past.
During Saturday´s meeting, the Maoist and UML leaders agreed to remove obstacles in House proceedings, to make constitutional and political appointments, and to finalize the composition of the Army Integration Special Committee.
The meeting saw the participation of Maoist chief and PM Dahal, Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, senior Maoist leader Mohan Baidya, Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, Law Minister Dev Prasad Gurung and Sharma from the Maoist party; and UML General Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal, former UML chief Madhav Kumar Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister Bam Dev Gautam, Water Resources Minister Bishnu Poudel, Rawal, Surendra Pandey, Bidhya Bhandari and Amrit Bohora represented the UML side.
"Earlier when the meeting was still on progress, UML leader Nepal had told journalists that leaders of both the parties had used most of the time in "venting ire" and reaching any concrete agreement on Saturday was distant.
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