The parties then agreed to hold a meeting of top leaders on Monday morning to resolve the disputes, while the parliamentary meeting was postponed to Monday afternoon.[break]
"There is a meeting of the top leaders tomorrow to discuss NC´s demands," said UML chief whip Bhim Acharya.
The NC´s move came as a jolt to the government´s much-talked about option to endorse the bill by a two-thirds majority, though the government obviously lacks the number.
The top leaders held hectic bilateral and trilateral meetings till 6 pm at New Baneshwar to settle the disputes, but to no avail.
Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and NC leader Ram Chandra Paudel, among others, were present at the talks.
The NC stated that the party would not let the government table the bill without consensus on peace process and formation of a consensus government, but the UML and the Maoist leaders argued that the parties can hold meetings on the issues in the next three days when the parliament would discuss the bill. The parties then agreed to hold talks on Monday.
Coming out of the BICC Hall, NC leader Paudel said, "Our party asked for time to speak on the party´s 10-point proposal. But the parliament meeting was postponed by pasting a notice. I have objection to that."
According to leaders, the NC had stated that the party would not disrupt parliamentary proceedings, if the government doesn´t table the CA extension bill.
The UML and Maoist leaders, however, argued that there is no point in running the House only to let Paudel speak on his party´s demand and disrupt the proceedings.
According to parliamentary secretariat sources, Speaker Subas Nembang was taken off guard by the NC´s stance since the party had not registered a notice of protest against the bill. "Only the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) had registered a note of protest. He learnt about NC´s stance only in the afternoon," said a CA secretariat official preferring anonymity.
Earlier, five of the lawmakers, who had been chanting slogans in parliament for the last few weeks for the cause of minorities, agreed to postopne their protests for 15 days after assurances on the demands by the three major parties. Then, the NC held a separate meeting with the Madhes-based and other fringe parties including the Rastriya Janashakti Party, and after an hour or so put forward its views that the parties would not let the government table the bill without national consensus.
Talking to Republca, Speaker Nembang said it was good that the parties are holding talks on Monday morning.
"I hope the parties would prepare ground for national consensus through talks," he said.
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