The two ruling parties have insisted that the Maoist leaders must be able to make a commitment to when they can de-link the Maoist combatants from the former rebel party, disband the Young Communist League´s paramilitary structure and fix the number of Maoist People´s Liberation Army (PLA) troops to be integrated into the security agencies. [break]
Top leaders of the NC and UML at a two-party meeting held at the latter´s parliamentary party office at Singha Durbar on Tuesday took the decision to this effect.
"We the leaders of the two parties have concluded that the prime minister´s resignation should come right after the Maoists commit themselves to a timeline to complete the aforementioned tasks. We can then take initiatives to form a national consensus government," NC Vice-president Gopal Man Shrestha, who was present at the bilateral meeting, told myrepublica.com.
He said the parties are for supporting any party that can garner national consensus in its favor heading a government. "As the Maoists and UML have already led governments, the NC should get the priority this time. Still, anyone that can command a national consensus will head the government," he said.
According to him, the NC and UML are for preparing a timeline to complete the peace process at the latest by the time the term of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) expires. The government has extended UNMIN´s term until September 15.
Shrestha said that the ruling parties will put forth the proposal at the three-party meeting that they want to hold within one or two days.
The ruling parties have been insisting that they cannot support Maoist leadership of the government until the former rebel party transforms itself into a civilian party by relinquishing violence and de-linking its combatants from the party, among other things.