Close to consensus: UML<br/>Issues still unresolved: Maoist

(Updated with contents of another Maoist-UML meeting)

KATHMANDU, Oct 1: A senior CPN-UML leader said on Thursday that the political parties were very close to reaching agreement to end existing political deadlock.

Dahal goes to meet President, terms it ´good beginning´

However, a Maoist leader said that issues raised by the Maoists are still unaddressed. They were speaking to mediapersons after the end of their meeting at Singha Durbar. This meeting was held at a time when top leaders of the two parties were holding a parallel meeting Maoist chairman´s residence at Naya Bazar, Thursday. [break]

"We are very close to consensus," UML secretary Yubraj Gyawal told reporters after the meeting between the UCPN (Maoist) and the CPN-UML at the Maoist parliamentary party office at Singha Durbar. "We will discuss a common resolution (on issues raised by Maoists) point by point and prepare a draft acceptable to all."

However, Maoist vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha said a lot was still to be done before an agreement is reached.

"We have two issues -- common resolution and civilian supremacy-cum-president´s move," Shrestha said. "Although there is broad agreement but there is still difference over the language of the resolution."

Shrestha further said that the Maoists would like to address President Dr Ram Baran Yadav´s move (to reinstate the last army chief who had been dismissed by the Maoist government in the first week of May). The Maoist government led by their chairman resigned in protest and launched a series of protest programs since then, disrupting the parliament and holding demonstrations and staging boycott of the president and cabinet ministers.

"Moreover, we want an amendment in the (Interim) Constitution limiting the president´s role to a ceremonial one," Shrestha added.

While Shrestha, Post Bahadur Bogati and Netra Bikram Chand represented the UCPN (Maoist), Gyawali, Keshab Baral, Pradip Gyawali, Parshuram Meghi Gurung and Urmila Aryal represented the UML.

A meeting between the Maoist, UML and the Nepali Congress is scheduled at Singha Durbar at 2 p.m.

Khanal and Dahal meet concludes

Meanwhile, Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Maoist party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal concluded their meeting at the latter´s residence on Thursday morning.

Khanal went to Dahal´s residence at Naya Bazar a little before 8.30 a.m. Another Maoist leader, Dr Baburam Bhattarai is also at the meeting. The three discussed the ways to address the issues raised by the Maoists. The detailed contents of the meeting, however, are still not known.

This meeting is part of the series of meetings that the UCPN (Maoist), CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress have agreed to hold in a bid to find ways to end the political deadlock. Of late, the three parties have expressed comments that signify that they are closer to reaching an agreement.

Sood reaches meeting venue

Meanwhile, India´s Ambassador to Nepal, Rakesh Sood, has also reached the Dahal residence. It was not immediately known whether Sood is also at the meeting with the three political leaders.