A meeting held between top NC and UML leaders at the residence of NC President Sushil Koirala Saturday evening also concluded that their talks should focus on fresh elections if the ruling parties including the Maoists cannot implement the deal. [break]
"There has been an understanding that the CA can be revived if there is agreement on all contentious issues of the new statute," NC General Secretary Prakash Man Singh told Republica after the meeting. "Else, our meeting with the Maoists will focus on fresh elections."
Among other things, the deal reached among the NC, UML, UCPN (Maoist) and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) on various contentious issues of the new statute had opted for a multi-ethnic identity-based 11-province federal model. The parties had also agreed to form a Central Federal Commission to settle issues related to the boundaries of provinces in future state restructuring.
Party President Koirala, Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and General Secretaries Singh and Krishna Sitaula from the NC and UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam, Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Sharma Oli were present at the two-party meeting that lasted over two hours.
Talking to Republica after the meeting, Vice-president Paudel said they are scheduled to hold talks with the Maoists on Sunday. "We held discussions on both possibilities. There has not been any agreement as yet between the NC and UML on fresh elections or CA revival," Paudel said.
A meeting of NC office-bearers including Deuba and Bimalendra Nidhi held earlier in the morning at Koirala´s residence had concluded that the party should go for CA revival only if the Maoists agreed to multi-ethnic identity-based 11 federal provinces as per the deal reached on May 15.
The meeting also decided to propose fostering a conducive environment for fresh elections if the ruling parties are averse to implementing the deal, which was reached 12 days before the expiry of the CA deadline, according to Nidhi
The three major parties and UDMF in the May 15 deal also agreed on other issues of contention including system of governance, formation of parliament, supreme court and constitutional court.
However, the deal could not be implemented as the Maoist and UDMF backtracked in view of strong reservations lodged by the ethnic and Madhesi parties, ultimately leading to the dissolution of the CA without promulgating a new statute.
NC leaders have taken their decision in view of the demand a section of party leaders including former CA members that the CA be revived for a short period to resolve the deadlock. Those rooting in the NC for CA revival have been maintaining that revival is the only legitimate way to resolve the deadlock.
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