Signing a six-point agreement committing them to implement all the components of the November 1 deal by December 15, top leaders of the major parties and the Madhesi alliance agreed to "immediately" form a government based on political understanding as well as reiterating their agreement to complete the remaining tasks of the pace process by December 15. [break]
"A national consensus government will be in place by the end of Mangsir (December 15)," said Ram Chandra Paudel, vice-president of the Nepali Congress, following a meeting of the top leaders on Tuesday when asked what the word "immediately" meant.
Further specifying the meaning of "immediately", CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal said that the parties held discussions at length during the meeting to avoid possible different interpretations of "immediately".
"A national consensus government will be formed without delay," said Khanal about the parties´ interpretation of "immediately."
Emerging from the meeting, Vice-chairman of the Maoist party Narayankaji Shrestha, who is also deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told media persons that a national consensus government would be formed after holding discussions at the top political level soon.
CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal, who was present at the meeting, told Republica that the meeting has authorized top leaders of the major parties to finalize the leadership of the next government of political consensus.
NC and CPN-UML leaders involved in the meeting said that their parties cannot join the present government to turn it into a national consensus government though the prime minister has publicly spoken of giving a consensus form to the incumbent government.
"We cannot accept the present government formed on the basis of a four-point agreement [with the United Democratic Madhesi Front]," said Rawal when asked whether there was any discussion to turn the present government into a consensus one.
A senior Nepali Congress leader said about the kind of national consensus government they discussed, "Baburam [Bhattarai] can be the leader of the next government but the present coalition cannot be turned into a government of consensus."
But Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bijaya Gachchhadar told journalists that the present government should be developed as a consensus government.
According to political sources, the parties have already reached a tentative understanding on forming a national consensus government under the leadership of Bhattarai but the incumbent prime minister would first have to resign to pave the way for that.
Inking the six-point agreement, the top leaders have also reiterated their commitment to completing the peace process and constitution writing but revised the deadline for conclusion of the peace process. They said they would now strive to implement the remaining commitments in the November 1 deal by December 15.
Likewise, the parties have agreed to chart out a calendar of events for constitution writing by December 6, reiterating that the recently-formed State Restructuring Committee will submit its report to the Constituent Assembly within two months from the date of its first meeting. In addition, they have agreed to meet every week to review progress in the implementation of the agreement.
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