The NC leaders including party President Sushil Koirala and General Secretary Krisna Prasad Sitaula said this during a meeting with top Maoist leaders including Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai in the capital on Saturday. [break]
According to sources, the Maoists responded to the NC leaders that they are committed to working on all the contentious issues within a month of the formation of a Maoist-led government.
The NC pressed the Maoists to agree on the modality for integration, number of combatants to be integrated, standard norms, rank harmonization and the rehabilitation package, besides the ToR of the proposed directorate under the Nepal Army, dissociation of arms from combatants and handover of the arms to the government.
“We will have difficulty striking an agreement on all the issues at once. It is not possible immediately, but things would move ahead in a positive direction within a month of the formation of our government,” a source privy to the negotiations told Republica.
The NC leaders, according to sources, then told the Maoists that they would wait a few more weeks to let them decide on all the issues of the peace process.
“This outgoing government may propose a CA term extension, and after the peace process shows signs of progress, and you can lead the government,” a source quoted the NC leaders as saying.
The Maoists then told the NC leaders that they would hold a meeting of the party Standing Committee later in the day and form an opinion about the NC´s proposal.
After the Standing Committee meeting, Maoist spokesperson Dinanath Sharma said that the party decided to adopt maximum flexibility to conclude the peace process.
“In line with the spirit of the Central Committee (CC) decision taken earlier, we have left it to the talks team [top office bearers] to decide the extent of flexibility to be adopted to strike a deal with the other political parties,” Sharma said.
Dahal and Bhattarai are for optimum flexibility in the integration process, while party hardliners led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya have demanded integration in a “dignified manner.”
At a meeting Friday evening of party leaders close to Bhattarai, they had decided to go for maximum flexibility in the integration process and for leading the government as the party doesn´t have any other option. “Senior PLA leaders would join politics, making rank harmonization during the integration process easier,” said a leader close to Bhattarai.
Sources say the party would demand concession on the issue of the age of PLA personnel. “As the proposed directorate is to take charge of the mixed force under the army including PLA personnel, there is nothing to worry about. All PLA integrated into the army would become soldiers,” said the leader.
UML, Maoists talks
Meanwhile, the Maoists and the UML held a separate meeting to discuss the peace process and government formation. "We have made some progress as we held issue-based talks and the Maoists have shown flexibility and a positive commitment with regard to accomplishing the peace process," said UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel.
He said they are optimistic that the talks on Sunday would yield results. Asked if there was a chance of forming a consensus government, he said he has become optimistic after the latest development.
Prime Minister and party Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary Pokharel and Bhim Rawal from the UML and party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai from the Maoist side participated in the talks.
The UML held talks with NC leaders also. The UML team talked with party President Sushil Koirala, Ram Sharan Mahat, Minendra Rijal and Krishna Sitaula.
Meanwhile, the standing committee meeting of the CPN-UML on Saturday decided to stand firmly by its previous decision to work on a national consensus government.
"We at today (Saturday)´s meeting decided to further push for a consensus government," General Secretary Pokharel told Republica. He said accomplishing the twin tasks of peace process and constitution writing are top UML priority.
Pokharel said they would seek proposals from the Maoists and the NC, which have announced their candidates -- Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba respectively -- for prime minister.
"We will tilt neither to the Maoists nor the NC. Any side coming up with a convincing proposal on accomplishing the twin tasks will have our support," he said.
Deadline for consensus govt likely to be extended
Meanwhile, the parties are likely to request President Dr Ram Baran Yadav to extend the deadline for a consensus government, which is due to expire Sunday. “We are yet to discuss the issue, but we are likely to request the president to extend the deadline,” said a senior NC leader.
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