An informal meeting of NC office bearers and a few central members held at the NC Parliamentary Party Office at Singha Durbar also decided to take up with priority the issue management of Maoist combatants to ensure promulgation of the new constitution on time.[break]
The meeting called by NC Acting President Sushil Koirala was attended by senior party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Poudel, Vice-Presidents Gopal Man Shrestha and Prakash Man Singh, General Secretaries Bimalendra Nidhi and K B Gurung, Joint-General Secretary Arjun Narsing KC and central members Krishna Sitaula and Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, among others.
Talking to Republica, Nidhi said the meeting held detailed discussions on resolving the complexities seen in the peace process and constitution drafting in the wake of the demise of the party´s president Girija Prasad Koirala. “The meeting held discussions on how those contentious issues could be resolved,” he said.
Party leaders complained that the Maoists had failed to return seized properties, dismantle the Young Communist League (YCL)´s paramilitary structure and also abide by agreements reached with the government in the past.
The meeting concluded that the Maoists were dilly-dallying over PLA management and that the NC should take up this issue with priority.
According to NC Vice-President Gopal Man Shrestha, the NC will first hold parleys with main coalition partner UML on various issues and then sit for talks with the Maoists. “We will then hold talks with other parties supporting the government and the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum,” he said. "The meeting will also aim at keeping the majority in parliament intact."
Shrestha said that the peace process needs to be concluded before the drafting of the new constitution.
Meanwhile, at the request of the Koirala family, the NC has deferred the condolence meeting scheduled to be held at Kathmandu´s Khulla Manch on April 1 to April 3. The condolence meetings in other 72 districts, however, will be held as scheduled on April 1.
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