HLPM forms six-member taskforce to draft ToR

KATHMANDU, Jan 19: The first meeting of the High Level Political Mechanism (HLPM) held on Tuesday ended on a positive note with top leaders of the three major parties agreeing to form a six-member taskforce for preparing Terms of Reference (ToR) for the mechanism.

The taskforce comprising two leaders each from the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and CPN-UML is tasked with submitting a draft ToR and working procedures at the next meeting of the HLPM scheduled for Friday. [break]

The ToR will pave the way for inclusion in the HLPM of other members including the prime minister and leaders of the Madhesi parties. Maoist Chairman Dahal and UML Chairman Khanal are currently members of the mechanism formed under the chairmanship of NC President Girija Prasad Koirala last Friday.

The taskforce formed Tuesday includes Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha from the Maoists, Arjun Narsingh KC and Krishna Prasad Sitaula from NC and Bharat Mohan Adhikari and Yuvraj Gyawali from UML.

Party leaders are confident that the HLPM will eventually resolve the protracted political deadlock in the country and also help promulgate the new constitution by the stipulated deadline of May 28, 2010. “There is no reason to be happy if we look at past experience [of forming taskforces],” UML leader Adhikari said after the meeting. “But this time there is enough ground to feel assured that the HLPM will ultimately help resolve the deadlock.”

The taskforce is set to begin necessary discussions on preparing the ToR and on issues related to inclusion of other political party leaders in the mechanism.

Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal were present at the HLPM meeting held at Koirala´s residence at Maharajgunj, Tuesday morning. NC leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba, Bimalendra Nidhi, Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Arjun Narsingh KC, UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari and Maoist leaders Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Narayankaji Shrestha were also among those present at the meeting that lasted over three hours.

The prime minister, however, attended the meeting only briefly as he had other engagements elsewhere.

The HLPM meeting, scheduled earlier on Monday, was put off to Tuesday as the UML chairman failed to return home on time from a pilgrimage in India.

Speaking to media after the meeting, NC General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi said the NC and UML formally asked the Maoist leadership to withdraw all their protest programs including their already-announced program of indefinite strikes starting January 24. The Maoists are currently staging various protests, mostly on the anti-India theme, as part of their fourth phase protest program.

However, the Maoist leadership has said they will take a decision after holding discussions within the party. “They have made a request [to withdraw our protest programs],” said Maoist Chairman Dahal. “We said we will consider the request positively if our demands are also taken positively.”

Dahal hinted that they are likely to take a decision after the HLPM meeting scheduled for Friday.

According to NC leader Sitaula, NC President Koirala said at the start of the meeting that the mechanism should focus solely on peace, stability and drafting of a new constitution and asked all parties not to let the mechanism deviate from these objectives.

Koirala also asked the Maoists not to entangle themselves in petty issues and to withdraw all their protest programs to help take the ongoing peace process to a logical end and draft the new constitution by the stipulated date. “The withdrawal of the protest programs will help develop an environment of confidence among political parties,” Sitaula quoted Koirala as saying.

koshraj@myrepublica.com