Though the leaders of all three major parties agree on giving continuity to the body formed to resolve the contentious issues among them to drive the peace process forward, they admit that there is now lack of a consensus leader who could coordinate the body. [break]
Two other parties of the HLPM, specially the NC, are not much comfortable with the Maoists staking claim for the coordinator of the mechanism.
The Maoists maintain that since the late Koirala and the Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal were two signatories to the Comprehensive Peace Accord, Dahal should head the body.
The late Koirala, who headed the three-member body, had himself taken initiative to form it on January 8 for the cause of peace process and constitution drafting. Dahal and UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal are other members of the mechanism.
NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula said there is no alternative to giving continuity to the HLPM if peace process is to be taken to logical end and new constitution is to be drafted. “But there is a lack of a leader with similar political height to Girija Prasad Koirala to head the body,” he said.
NC General Bimalendra Nidhi said the party has not held any discussion about HLPM leadership. Negotiations will begin once the mourning over Koirala´s demise is over, he said.
Maoist Vice Chair Dr Baburam Bhattarai said though it is an issue to be settled through negotiation, it would be appropriate to give Dahal the chance to head the HLPM keeping in view with his political ideology, political strength and established political personality.
He added that there is a need to give continuity to the mechanism even in the days to come. “We need to take forward through consensus.”
CPN-UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel, however, argued that the leadership issue is not a big deal. He said the leadership and structure issues regarding the body should be settled through negotiations.
“The formation of the mechanism was a good beginning to help institutionalize the politics of consensus. It should be given continuity at any cost to take the peace process to a logical end,” he said.
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