KATHMANDU, Nov 16: The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has said that it is ready to show flexibility in a bid to find a solution to the protracted political deadlock, while urging a similar response from the ruling CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Nepali Congress (NC). [break]
The main opposition party put forth the proposal as the three major political parties intensified dialogues for ending the deadlock.
The ruling parties held several rounds of bilateral as well as multilateral talks on Sunday alone. Leaders involved in the talks said they have agreed that a joint resolution is the only way to resolve the crisis and to avoid confrontation.
UCPN (Maoist) leaders in a meeting with CPN-UML proposed that a solution should be sought by tabling a joint resolution in the parliament.
The Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML had earlier drafted a joint resolution to address President Dr Ram Baran Yadav´s move and presented the same to the Maoists. The Maoists rejected the draft, demanding that the parties admit "the president´s move was a mistake" and that this be mentioned within the resolution proper to be passed by the parliament. But the ruling parties were ready to mention the clause only as background to the resolution.
"Now, we have agreed to seek solution by making further (linguistic and other) amendments to the same draft resolution. And we will move ahead after consulting with the NC," UML Secretary Yuvaraj Gyawali told reporters while emerging from the Maoist-UML talks at the latter´s office in Singha Durbar Sunday evening.
UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, Standing Committee members Bharat Mohan Adhikari and Gyawali from UML and Maoist leaders Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Dev Gurung participated in the bilateral talks.
According to Gyawali, the Maoists reiterated that the ruling parties directly or indirectly must concede that the president´s move as a mistake.
"We have agreed that there is no alternative to consensus but we are yet to come up with a concrete solution," said Dr Bhattarai. Shrestha hoped the parties will find a way out to resume the House and pass the budget within a couple of days.
PM intensifies consultation
In the meantime, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal intensified consultations for ending the deadlock. He held several rounds of meetings on Sunday alone in an effort to pass the budget.
He held separate meetings with Speaker Subas Nembang and NC leaders including Acting NC President Sushil Koirala, Ram Chandra Poudel Sunday morning.
Nepal held another round of meeting with senior NC leaders and UML leaders at his official residence in Baluwatar in the evening. NC leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba, Poudel, Bimalendra Nidhi, UML leaders Jhala Nath Khanal, KP Oli, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Home Minister Bhim Rawal, Finance Minister Surendra Pandey and Minister for Information and Communication Shankar Pokharel, among other ministers and other senior leaders were present at the meeting. Oli had hosted a similar gathering at his residence on Saturday evening.
Earlier, Maoists also consulted with leaders of small parties including CPN (United) and Nepa Rastriya Party over the deadlock.
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