UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal after the meeting said today’s talks dwelt on electoral laws-related issues including the implementation of proportional representation threshold, and that the leaders agreed to be flexible for agreement on those issues so that the date of new elections could be fixed with a view to holding the elections in November second or third week. [break]
Nepali Congress Vice-President Ram Chandra Paudel said this party stressed on downsizing the CA from the previous strength of 601 to 491 as agreed earlier among the four major political parties and that there should be some provision for PR threshold.
CPN-UML Chairman Jhanalath Khanal said his party strongly put forth its view in favor of PR threshold and CA downsizing. He also said his party was for barring candidates convicted in serious crimes from running and clearly defining the group of Nepali community kept under the category of ‘other’.
It is however learnt that UCPN (Maoist) and United Democratic Madhesi Front were adamant on going to new CA elections as per earlier provisions in matters of PR threshold and CA downsizing, whereas other parties including NC and UML stressed on revising electoral provisions related to those issues.
After the meeting, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana said they emphasized on an end to the four-party ´syndicate´ in addition to the implementation of PR threshold and CA downsizing. Alongside government representatives, leaders from political parties represented in the erstwhile CA were present in the meeting. CPN-Maoist and other 32 fringe parties, who have been hitting the street in protest of the proposition of new CA elections, were not present in today’s meeting.
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