This was the prime concern of the parties at an all-party meeting held Tuesday at New Baneshwar at the call of the four major political forces including the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) to seek parties´ views for resolving the current political impasse.[break]
While the ruling parties including those in the Federal Democratic Republican Alliance (FDRA) argued that other parties too should join the Baburam Bhattarai-led government to conduct the elections, opposition parties maintained that there should be a new government to hold the elections.
CPN-UML Vice Chairman Bamdev Gautam said the parties are at odds over who should lead the government that will conduct the elections. "Those parties that are benefitting from the Bhattarai-led government argue that the existing government can take the form of a national consensus government to conduct the elections," he said, adding that the opposition parties dismiss such argument.
While the top leaders of UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, UML and UDMF informed the leaders of other parties that they had reached an understanding to go to fresh CA election, the representatives of all 32 parties including Mohan Baidya led CPN-Maoist and Sharat Singh Bhandari-led National Madhes Samajbadi Party (NMSP) had put forth their suggestions for resolving the deadlock including ways to amend the constitution, determine electoral system and number of election constituencies, and to form national consensus government at the meeting.
Sadbhawana Party Vice Chairman Hridayesh Tripathi told journalists that there has been an understanding to call another all-party meeting after the four major political forces prepare a draft proposal incorporating the suggestions given by the fringe parties at the meeting. Most leaders argued that fresh CA elections should be held by April, 2013.
UCPN (Maoist) spokesperson Agni Sapkota said that the major parties will forge understanding on all issues of election and new government before calling another all-party meeting.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa said since CA was dissolved without promulgating a new statute new CA elections should be held. Thapa said proposal on amending the constitution for holding elections should be brought through approval of all parties. Only after this that the cabinet can recommend the president to resolve constitutional difficulties for conducting new elections.
Some leaders including Vice Chairman of Sadbhawana Party Laxman Lal Karna, Chairman of the Samajbadi Prajatantrik Janata Party Prem Bahadur Singh and senior leader of Nepali Congress (NC) Sher Bahadur Deuba however argued that reinstatement of the CA would be the best way to resolve the current deadlock.
Various small parties had criticized the big three parties for ignoring them.
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