During a three-party meeting held at Singha Durbar Thursday afternoon, the NC also sought the scrapping of the deal reached between Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal hours before the election of the UML chief as prime minister three weeks ago.[break]
The main opposition party maintained that the political parties can all work together on the peace process and constitution drafting only after the deal is scrapped. “We said that the peace process and constitution drafting cannot be expedited unless the hindrance is removed,” NC leader Minendra Rijal told media persons after the meeting.
The party objected to the deal, arguing that it tried to sideline the NC with regard to the peace process and drafting of the new constitution. “We do not have any reservations over the formation of a new government,” UML leader Pradip Gyawali quoted NC leaders as saying. “But the way you struck the deal on the peace process and constitution writing is objectionable to us.”
The NC had reminded both Maoist and UML leaders about the constitutional provision that a number of key issues relating to the peace process and constitution drafting require either a broad consensus among all parties or a consensus among at least the major parties. “But the deal gives the impression that the two parties are all in all in terms of resolving issues related to peace and the constitution,” he further quoted NC leaders as saying.
The NC also turned down the call of both the Maoists and the UML to join the government, saying there would be no point in dealing with the new government as long as the seven-point deal remained in place. “We emphasized that the peace process should be concluded before the promulgation of a new constitution,” said NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi. “We are ready to assist in the peace process and constitution drafting.”
With the NC coming down heavily on their deal, both Prime Minister Khanal and Maoist Chairman Dahal tried to allay NC concerns, saying the deal was not directed against any party and was reached for the purpose of taking the peace process and constitution drafting to a logical end.
Prime Minister Khanal asked the NC not to harbor any suspicions about the deal. “The deal was reached under special circumstances to break a protracted deadlock. We can still forge an understanding among the parties. The doors have not been closed on national consensus,” said another party leader present at the meeting.
Maoist Chairman Dahal likewise defended the deal saying it was reached as all their efforts to break the deadlock had been in vain for seven months.
The meeting called by Prime Minister Khanal -- the first of its kind after his election as prime minister -- was for discussing contentious issues relating to the peace process, constitution drafting and formation of a state restructuring commission to delineate the federal states. The meeting, however, failed to dwell on these issues as the Maoists said they could discuss the issues only after giving full shape to the government.
“Our Standing Committee meeting scheduled for Friday will take a decision whether to join the government or not,” one leader quoted Maoist Chairman Dahal as saying. “Since our decision will have a direct effect on the peace process and constitution writing we had better discuss the issues only at the next meeting.”
The three parties have agreed to sit for another round of negotiations on Saturday.
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