The two sides agreed to retain 601-strong CA. HLPC had earlier agreed with Upendra Yadav-led Federal Democratic Front (FDF) to limit the CA size to 585 members, while the constituent parties of HLPC -- UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) -- had last year decided to reduce the number of seats in CA to 491.[break]
The two sides also agreed to hold an all-party meeting with participation of all political parties represented in the dissolved CA. Earlier, the agitating political parties, including FSPN and Mohan Baidya-led 33-party alliance, had been insisting on holding a round-table conference to discuss major contentious political issues.
Finally, HLPC and FSPN have settled for holding an all-party meeting within a few days.“The government will be requested to hold an all-party meeting to ensure CA polls on the scheduled date,” read the agreement undersigned by NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel on behalf of the HLPC and FSPN Chairman Ashok Rai.
The parties have decided to hold discussions on various aspects of the basic principles of the new constitution and to make utmost efforts to reach agreements on its key features based on past agreements in CA.The two sides have also vowed to take initiatives to amend laws and make other arrangements to ensure voting rights for Nepali nationals staying abroad.
FSPN has reciprocated by withdrawing all protest programs announced earlier. The two sides had reached the agreements in principle on Wednesday but didn´t ink the deal as FSPN leaders proposed signing the deal with consent from other political parties including the Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist.
“Today [Friday] we signed the agreement because one of the points in the five-point accord is to convene an all-party meeting,” FSPN General Secretary Rajendra Shrestha told Republica. According to him, the agitating CPN-Maoist is also likely to join the polls.
Another FSPN leader said Baidya-led CPN-Maoist may join election if other parties express readiness to defer the polls scheduled for November.
UCPN (Maoist), NC leaders talk to Baidya
Meanwhile, key leaders of the constituent parties of HLPC have intensified informal talks with the Baidya-led party.
UCPN (Maoist) leaders, including Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, held informal talks with CPN-Maoist leaders, including Mohan Baidya on Friday morning.
Similarly, NC leaders, including Ram Chandra Paudel, Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Minendra Rijal held informal meeting with Baidya and his team in the evening.
“There was no concrete result but we found them more interested in finding a solution during our discussion today. We will continue the talks,” said Rijal.
According to CPN-Maoist Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal, UCPN (Maoist) and NC leaders have been requesting them to join the election process, while her party leaders have been emphasizing on a “meaningful” all-party meeting. “Our emphasis is that the roundtable meeting should take some decisions about the new constitution,” she said.
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