The two parties on Friday held a meeting with leaders from 16 parties at Maoist parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar.[break]
As per the two-party agreement, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has agreed to pull out of the prime ministerial race and the UML leaders in return have pledged not to participate in the next round of prime ministerial voting.
"We made it clear before the 16 parties that the agreement between UCPN-M and UML is not for forging two-party alliance, it is just an initiative to forge a broader national consensus for ending the ongoing deadlock," Maoist Vice-Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha told reporters after the meeting.
"After this, we will talk to the Nepali Congress (NC) and Madhes-based parties." He claimed that the parties appreciated the Maoists and the UML for taking the initiative.
UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal said they will also urge the NC to withdraw Ram Chandra Paudel´s candidacy for the post of prime minister. "We can´t take the new process ahead unless Paudel´s candidacy is withdrawn," Khanal said.
Pashupati Shamsher Rana of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), who also attended the meeting, said they suggested to the Maoist and UML leaders to take concrete steps to ensure that the constitution is written in the next eight months.
According to Shrestha, while NC leaders had expressed their inability to attend the meeting due to their busy schedule, Madhes-based parties had promised to attend it.
"Top leaders from all the four Madhes-based parties had committed to attend the meeting. We need to enquire why they didn´t show up," he said.
Leaders from RPP, Rastriya Janashakti Party, Chure Bhawar, Nepa Rastriya Party, Nepal Sadbhawana Party-Anandidevi and Nepali Janta Party, among others, attended the meeting.
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