Top leaders of the four major political parties represented on the HLPC held talks with the Upendra Yadav-led Federal Democratic Front (FDF) on Monday, and they are also scheduled to hold talks with the 33-party alliance of agitating parties led by the CPN-Maoist within the next few days. FDF comprises eight different political parties.
At a meeting held at the HLPC secretariat at New Baneshwor on Monday afternoon, the FDF put forth its 13-point demand that includes revising the 25-point ordinance paving the way for the formation of the chief justice-led poll government, the resignation of Chairman of Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi as chief justice and ensuring the same ratio between the first-past-the-post and proportional electoral systems as during the previous CA poll.
During the previous CA poll the ratio between proportional electoral system and first-past-the-post was near 58:42. Earlier, the HLPC had agreed to form a 491-member CA with 240 seats each allocated for first-past-the-post and the proportional system.
Among other things, the agitating parties in the FDF have demanded the delineation of election constituencies on the basis of the population figurtes shown by the latest census held in 2011 and the scrapping of the HLPC, which the agitating parties call a four-party syndicate.
The meeting saw both sides reaffirming their respective stances and ended inconclusively, said CPN-UML leader Raghuji Pant, who was among the participants. “We have clarified our positions to each other. We will hold talks again after assessing how much we can concede to each other,” he said. Both sides hailed the beginning of dialogue as a positive step and agreed to sit for another round of talks soon, he said.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, Chairman of Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Party Parshu Ram Tamang said the resignation of Regmi from the post of chief justice was a must to create a conducive environment for the poll. Tamang is also spokesperson of the FDF.
UCPN (Maoist) leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha told media that the meeting ended with an agreement to sit for another round of talks soon to settle concerns raised by the agitating parties. “We have had very cordial talks with the agitating parties. But we have not reached any conclusion today,” he said, adding that they would try to reach consensus soon.
The HLPC is also prepared to hold talks with the Mohan Baidya-led alliance once Baidya returns to the capital from the Tarai, according to UML leader Pant. Baidya and other leaders of the CPN-Maoist arrived back in Kathmandu on Monday after visiting various Tarai districts in connection with party functions.
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