They said deferral of the polls would only push the country into further uncertainty as the agitating CPN-Maoist party has insisted on deferring the polls without expressing any commitment to participating in the election. [break]
“There is no point in postponing the poll date just to bring the Baidya-led party on board the election process because the party in its 18-point demand has nowhere expressed its commitment to participating in the election process,” NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat told Republica. “But if the agitating Maoist party agrees to participate in the election, we will certainly demonstrate maximum flexibility to include them in the process.”
Also, UML leaders present at the two-party discussion said polls can´t be postponed.
“They are for postponing the November polls first and discussing the issues afterward. Such a move would further complicate the situation and make the elections uncertain,” UML leader Agni Kharel told Republica. “So, we are ready to demonstrate maximum flexibility to convince them into joining the election process.”
NC and UML leaders also discussed the demand put forth by Upendra Yadav-led Madhesi People´s Rights Forum Nepal (MPRF-N).
They concluded that Yadav´s demand that a majority of the total 240 election constituencies be delineated in the Tarai-Madhes region alone is unacceptable to them. The Madhes-based parties have been insisting that at least 121 constituencies be delineated in the Tarai-Madhes region. They have argued that it is necessary because the population of the Tarai-Madhes is 51 percent of the total population according to the latest census.
At present there are 116 constituencies in the Tarai-Madhes region. Leaders said that it would require constitutional amendment to add more constituencies in the Tarai and that it wouldn´t be practically feasible.
“As far as Yadav´s demand for increasing the percentage of seats in the CA under the proportional representation system is concerned, we have decided to negotiate a minimum percentage,” said Kharel.
The constituent parties of the HLPC had earlier reached an agreement to allocate 50 percent seats under the first-past-the-post and proportional electoral system each. But the agitating parties have lobbied for keeping the seat ratio unchanged. In the past CA, 58 percent of seats were allocated under the proportional representation system.
NC and UML leaders have also decided to lobby for removal of a constitutional provision that makes preparation of a list of inclusive candidates mandatory for those political parties that field candidates for more than 30 percent of the total seats. They are for making the provision applicable to all the political parties irrespective of the number of candidates.
NC and UML leaders held joint discussions with a view to forging a common view of the two parties with regard to responding to the agitating parties´ demands ahead of a meeting of the High Level Political Committee (HLPC) scheduled for Monday.
The leaders have planned to hold next round of negotiations with the agitating groups after forging a common view of the four constituent parties of the HLPC -- UCPN (Maoist), NC, CPN-UML and the United Democratic Madhesi Front.
NC President Sushil Koirala and CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal led their teams of key leaders from their respective political parties during the talks.
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