A meeting of major three political parties convened by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to discuss local body restructuring and amendment of the constitution ended inconclusively on Tuesday after Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimilendra Nidhi and CPN-UML Vice Chairman Bhim Rawal had a heated argument.

The two leaders argued over whether it would be appropriate or not to consult foreigners regarding the amendment to new constitution. This is the first meeting of opposition CPN-UML with the ruling party leaders after leaving the government.

“As the issue of constitution amendment was being discussed at the meeting, I said it would not be appropriate to hold discussion with foreigners regarding our internal matters,” UML leader Rawal said after the meeting. “Nidhi [DPM Bimalendra] responded to my concerns. And then we had a brief discussion over the same. There was nothing bad.”

According to Rawal, Nidhi said, in response to his question, that the government could inform others about what it is trying to do and that some people, parties and organisations in the past had brought draft of constitution and “funding” from foreign country in the name of writing the constitution.

“And I asked him to make public about the party, organisation and person that brought the draft of constitution and funding,” said Rawal. It has been learnt that PM Dahal intervened after the debate between Rawal and Nidhi turned heated.

Rawal said that PM Dahal started the dialogue underscoring the need for consensus to determine the local bodies and amend the constitution.

At the meeting, UML leaders expressed their doubts if the ruling parities were trying to change the criteria given by the erstwhile UML Chairman Oli-led government to the local body restructuring commission. The UML leaders were of the view that the commission should be allowed to work.

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman and Prime Minister Dahal, leaders Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel, leaders Ram Sharan Mahat, Purna Bahadur Khadka, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Nidhi, Minister for Urban Development Arjun Narsing KC, Acting Chairman of CPN-UML Bam Dev  Gautam, General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel, Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Poudel and Secretary Pradeep Gyawali were present.