“We are trying to arrange a meeting of the top leaders on Tuesday, but we are not sure if we will succeed,” said CPN-UML Secretary Yubraj Gyanwali on Monday.
The talks team of the UCPN (Maoist) and the UML are scheduled to meet at the latter´s parliamentary office on Tuesday to discuss once again the Maoist demand concerning “civilian supremacy” as well as change of guards at Singha Durbar.
Alarmed by the Maoists´ new demand for government change, the NC and UML leaders held a meeting at the latter´s office at Balkhu on Monday morning and discussed at length the latest political developments. The parties reached a conclusion that the Maoists´ demand had complicated the situation and decided to reject it.
“They must follow the due process if they want change of government,” said UML General secretary Ishwar Pokharel after the meeting. “The government cannot be changed by issuing a threat. They should think in advance about the consequences of such an action,” added Pokharel. He, however, said that the ruling parties would continue to seek peaceful solution.
NC leaders Sushil Koirala, Ram Chandra Poudel, and Ram Sharan Mahat, and UML leaders Jhalanath Khanal and Ishwar Pokharel, among others, attended the meeting. “We have decided to call on the Maoists to resume the parliament as the country is sliding into deep crisis,” said Poudel. In the afternoon, the NC held a meeting of the ruling parties at Singha Durbar to apprise them of the latest political developments.
The UML leaders were not present during the meeting. “We didn´t attend the meeting as the problem is with the Maoists, not with the ruling parties,” said UML leader Parshuram Meghi Gurung.
Maoists ready for mass movement: Dahal
Maoists Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday said that his party was ready to launch third mass movement for the sake of writing a new constitution and taking the peace process to its logical end.
Speaking at a function organized by Newa Mukti Morcha, Chairman Dahal said, “We are now prepared for the third mass movement.” Stating that the country was in need of a “total revolution”, Dahal said his party was well-prepared for it. He, however, added that his party would do its best to resolve the protracted deadlock through consensus. It may be recalled that the Maoists have already declared that they would launch a “people´s movement” if political consensus was not reached by Nov 1 on their demand concerning “civilian supremacy”.
The Maoist chairman also claimed that conspiracy was being hatched to dissolve the Constituent Assembly, declare a state of emergency, impose presidential rule, and suppress people´s demand for federalism. “They are inciting some army generals to disrupt the whole peace process. And we know who they are,” he said.
The Maoists´ Joint Mass Movement, Nepal, headed by Dr Baburam Bhattarai is scheduled to hold a meeting on Tuesday to decide on their protest programs if consensus was not reached by Nov 1.
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