The meeting scheduled for Friday was postponed in the absence of the parties though the HLPC called the latter for meeting at the secretariat of Special Committee (for Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of former combatants) in New Baneswor. [break]
Although the HLPC invited them for dialogue to enable election environment, the parties boycotted the meeting, said UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha.
It is learnt that the HLPC Coordinator and UCPN (Maoist) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal had urged CPN-Maoist Chair Mohan Baidhya while Nepali Congress (NC) Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel approached Forum Chair Upendra Yadav for dialogue over telephone.
Noting that the four parties do have no strength for this, Maoist Chief Baidhya took stance not to sit for dialogue. However, Yadav was showing readiness for this.
After the absence of parties called for meeting, leaders of the major political parties discussed the electoral process and the strategies to be devised in this respect, said Shrestha.
´The responsibility to bring in parties protesting the election has been given to HLPC Coordinator once again. They should come to negotiation table if they are political forces and that the ignorance to participate in dialogue and negotiation is an apolitical behavior´, Shrestha further said.
The election is must for the country, he said, adding the HLPC is optimistic that the fringe parties including CPN-Maoist and Forum will appear in dialogue.
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