During a meeting held between NC and the UML at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Baluwatar on Sunday, the two parties reached agreement to limit the total number of parliamentarians from both houses to 300. While 60 percent lawmakers would be directly elected, remaining 40 percent would be elected under the proportional electoral system.Likewise, the two parties have agreed to negotiate with the Maoist-led alliance to carve six provinces. Although the Maoist-led alliance has said that it is ready to accept six provinces, the alliance has been demanding that the geographical boundaries of the proposed provinces should be decided clearly then and there--something NC and UML do not accept.
UML Vice Chairman Bhim Rawal said they plan to hold meeting with the Maoist-led alliance at 9 am Monday to settle remaining issues of federalism and electoral system. "We will hold negotiations in such a way that we will now reach consensus on the remaining issues of federalism and electoral system," said Rawal.
NC leader and Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Mahesh Acharya said the meeting dwelt on the proposal floated by Maoist-led alliance on federalism and other contentious issues of the new statute. "We will try to reach consensus on the disputed issues of the new statute," he said.
Minister Acharya, however, clarified that they won't accept the opposition demand for immediately demaracating the geographical boundary of each province. NC and UML have been maintaining that this will be decided by the soon-to-be formed commission to delineate federal provinces.
The four major political parties were supposed hold a joint meeting on Sunday considering the deadline set by CA Chairman Nembang to settle thorny issues of the new statute. But as the CA meeting on Monday will be adjourned for another day to mourn the demise of former lawmaker Gopal Koirala, the parties did not feel any strong pressure to reach agreement on the disputed issues on Sunday. The two ruling parties had informed the Maoist-led alliance only Sunday afternoon that they will sit for negotiation with them on 9 am Monday.
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