The leaders argued they can arrive at a conclusion if the parties honestly implement past agreements and hold serious dialogue on six-point agenda raised during the High Level Political Mechanism Meeting recently. [break]
At an interaction "Nirnayak Bahas" organized by Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) in the capital on Wednesday, the leaders said the demand of the Maoists to form national consensus government under the latter´s leadership could be met after reaching a package deal. They agreed that the country witnessed deadlock as the parties chose majority system instead of consensus system in forming the government.
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Vice Chair Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Mohan Baidya, NC Acting President Sushil Koirala, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Krishna Prasad Sitaula and UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel and Pradip Gyawali took part in the interaction. The leaders were asked questions by people from across the country.
Addressing the interaction, UML Chairman Khanal said his party is ready to quit the government if national consensus was forged among political parties. "We have already identified six agendas of agreement. If we honestly discuss those agendas we can settle the issue of [PM´s] resignation and national government," he said.
Among other things, the six-point agenda of agreement includes power sharing, management of Maoists combatants and resolving all contentious issues that have surfaced in the constitution drafting process. The Maoists have demanded national coalition government as part of the power-sharing deal.
Though the three parties agree in principle to integrate some of the combatants in security agencies, including in the army, and rehabilitate the remaining others, they appeared divided over the number of combatants to be integrated.
NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula revealed that Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and late NC President Girija Prasad Koirala had verbally agreed to integrate 3,000 to 5,000 combatants in the army.
Dahal, however, said they had reached no such agreement.
UML Chairman Khanal said the issue of the management of the combatants could be settled easily as a proposal regarding number and modality of combatants´ integration and management has already been developed following discussions among parties. "The important thing is not the number of combatants but peace," he said. "We can resolve the issue if we moved ahead keeping with certain standards."
While the NC and UML argued that the management of the Maoist combatants should be completed before promulgation of the new constitution, the Maoists insisted that current government should step down to pave way for the peace process to succeed. The Maoists said power sharing deal in the new national government should be made in accordance with the mandate given by the people in constituent assembly election.
Maoist Chairman Dahal said they announced fresh protest programs out of compulsion as NC and UML turned a deaf ear to their demands to form a new national consensus government.
The Maoists have announced indefinite general strike starting May 2 to dislodge the current government and have made their plan public to bring in hundreds of thousands party cadres in Kathmandu.
The party leaders said there was no reason to be pessimistic. Maoist Chairman Dahal said the failure of the parties to draft the new constitution on time should not be taken seriously. It now feels that we were ambitious in setting deadline for the task, he said.
Dahal also refuted that they have been forcing people to pay donations forcefully and that he has already directed his cadres not to engage in such activities.
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