A meeting of the two ruling parties held at the Prime Minister Sushil Koirala's official residence in Baluwatar on Thursday made the decision to move ahead with the CA process while continue intense negotiations with the UCPN (Maoist). The CA Chairman Subash Nembang has called next CA meeting for April 13.UML Vice Chairman Bhim Rawal said the meeting concluded that statute drafting process should not be delayed further in the name of consensus. "We have decided to exercise maximum flexibility to reach consensus with the opposition parties. But if there is no consensus by April 20 we have decided move forward with the CA process," he said. Earlier, CA meeting was put off at the request of opposition parties for consensus efforts.
The two ruling parties have decided to intensify informal negotiations with the Maoist and Madhes-based parties to find consensus on the disputed issues. Ministers Mahesh Acharya, Narahari Acharya, General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula Joint General Secretary Purna Bahadur Khadka from NC and Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Paudel, Chief Whip Agni Kharel the party's Standing Committee member Surendra Pandey are involved in informal negotiations with the opposition parties.
Likewise, UCPN (Maoist) has deputed General Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Secretary Barsha Man Pun, Shakti Basnet and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi for the informal talks. Party sources said ruling parties have agreed to discuss on all possible alternatives to the disputed issues with maximum flexibility to reach consensus on them. The NC and UML leaders have been holding series of informal negotiations with the leaders of Maoist and Madhes-based parties since Tuesday.
A senior NC leader said they decided to resume the CA process as they have to eventually go to process no matter whether there is consensus to bring a new statute. It is likely that CA meeting scheduled for April 13 will be put off again for a few days as April 14 marks the new Nepali year according to lunar calendar. "We have reached to consensus on all issues except for the federalism. If there was no consensus on boundaries of the federal states, those issues will be kept pending for further discussion while the issues agreed will be put in draft constitution," said the NC leader.
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