KATHMANDU, Dec 28: Leaders of Nepali Congress (NC) at a three-party meeting urged the prime minister to take proactive role for resolving the ongoing political stalemate and to end "his indifference" toward the crisis.
Leaders of the main opposition asked Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to take some result-oriented initiatives to forge an agreement with the agitating Madhes-based political parties.
"We drew the attention of the prime minister toward the urgent need for him to end his indifference toward the situation and play a proactive role to end the crisis," NC leader Mahesh Acharya told Republica.
Prime Minister Oli and former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal from CPN-UML, Nepali Congress President Sushil Koriala and the party's other senior leaders, and Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other leaders from UCPN (Maoist) were present at the three-party meeting held at the prime minister's official residence at Baluwatar on Monday.
The NC leaders piled pressure on the ruling party leaders based on their earlier discussions with the agitating Madhesi leaders. Last week, they held several rounds of talks with Madhesi leaders and UCPN (Maoist) leaders on finding some middle-way solution.
Acharya said NC leaders are ready to discuss the wordings of the bill to amend the new constitution with regard to ensuring proportionate representation in all state organs that is under discussion in parliament.
"We are open minded about discussing the wordings of the bill and are ready for making appropriate changes to the bill," said Acharya, who was a minister in the previous government that registered the bill in parliament.
He also said that the NC leaders pressed the prime minister to start serious negotiations on the disputes over provincial boundaries.
The Madhes-based political parties have been protesting in the Tarai districts and have resorted to blocking border checkpoints creating acute shortage of fuel, medicines and other essentials across the country to protest the proposed provincial boundaries and some provisions about citizenship in the new constitution.
UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha said leaders from the three parties have reached an understanding to agree on some changes within the next two days when the parliament conducts general deliberations over the bill.
"We are holding regular talks with a view to forging common stance among the three parties on making changes to the amendment bill," Shrestha told Republica. "First we three will reach a common understanding on the matter and then negotiate with the agitating parties."
According to him, they want to find a solution before the deadline to make changes to the amendment bill expires.
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