"In the two-party meeting we agreed to reject the Maoist proposal and to concentrate all our initiatives toward forming a national consensus government that has become an urgent to avoid further political as well as constitutional crises," CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal told Republica. "And we also decided to prepare to intensify protests against the government immediately after the end of Tihar festival if the ruling Maoists insist on staying in power."[break]
In separate meetings with NC President Sushil Koirala, CPN-UML Chairman Khanal and CPN-UML´s senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday floated a two-page proposal. But all three leaders turned it down.
Dahal proposed that his party was ready to accept NC leadership of a new government in exchange for NC support to revive the Constituent Assembly (CA) for the purpose of promulgating a new constitution. In his second option, Dahal proposed other parties join a Baburam Bhattarai-headed election government if the opposition parties are going to stick to the option of fresh elections.
Khanal said that leaders from both the sides also concluded that they should concentrate all their efforts for the exit of the present ruling coalition and that they would reach any agreement only after unseating the prime minister.
NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel also echoed Khanal. "We at the bilateral meeting today [Sunday] discussed the Maoist proposal and agreed to reject it," Paudel told reporters after the two-party talks. "Both sides have vowed not to reach any deal with the Maoists unless the prime minister paves the way for formation of national consensus government."
He claimed that there was no point in reaching any understanding with Maoist leaders because "they are neither wholeheartedly ready for holding fresh elections nor were sincere toward making a democratic constitution."
Party President Sushil Koirala, former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Vice-president Paudel from the NC and party Chairman Khanal, former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam from CPN-UML were present during the two-party talks.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai talked with former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal seeking the his suggestions on resolving the political deadlock.
"I suggested the prime minister not to stick to the power and be ready to pave the way for formation of a national consensus government," a source quoted Nepal as saying. "He [Bhattarai] told me that he was ready to quit if other parties come up with an amicable solution to end the stalemate."
Nepal was of the view that though both UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Dahal and Prime Minister Bhattarai were not trustworhy, the opposition parties -- NC and UML -- should give continuity to the talks while preparing to intensify massive protests.
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