Three major parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Maoist Centre—on Tuesday failed to forge consensus on the number of local units. The prospect of another violation of their own timeline—of reaching a compromise in 15 days—has fuelled fears of delay in holding local elections and its repercussions on provincial and federal level elections.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had called a meeting of the major parties at Baluwatar to discuss on three major agendas—amending the constitution, restructuring of the local bodies and holding elections.

PM Dahal said the parties should forge consensus on the restructuring of the local bodies to ensure local election by mid-February 2017 or it would have knock-on effect on plans to hold elections for other tiers of the government.

The parties had earlier decided to extend 15 more days until August 31 for the local technical committee of the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC) to submit their reports.

During the meeting, Nepali Congress leaders, including Ram Chandra Poudel, proposed that the local bodies should be formed based on the population of 1,000-3,000 in the mountains, around 10,000 in the hills and around 20,000 in the Tarai.

However, leaders of the main opposition CPN-UML were in favour of allowing the constitutional Local Level Restructuring Commission to do its work independently and accept its report.

UML leader Kiran Gurung, who was in the meeting, said NC leaders pressed for holding the local elections of the existing bodies as an interim measure.

NC leader Purna Bahadur Khadka, however, argued that the party was merely raising the point of interim elections for local bodies in the event there was no consensus on restructuring. During the meeting, NC leaders suggested that 927 areas under the existing District Development Committees could be considered as local units and local elections could be held on that basis. But UML leaders dismissed the proposal as a regressive move.

On the issue of constitution amendment, UML leaders wanted to know the content of the amendment. UML Vice-chairman Bhim Rawal vented his ire at the government for discussing the issue of constitutional amendment abroad without consulting with the parties at home.

Responding to Rawal, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi, who had been to New Delhi as a special envoy of PM Dahal, maintained that the issue of constitutional amendment was never discussed during the visit.

Maoist Centre leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha told the UML leaders that the letter sent to Indian PM could be shown to top leaders but making it public as demanded by the UML “will be against the diplomatic practice”.

Key leaders, including NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML Chairman K P Sharma Oli, were absent as both of them are currently abroad.

The PM said he would invite the leaders soon after consultations with Madhesi and Janajati parties. Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Dahal had discussed with NC leader Poudel on the issue of local level restructuring and amendment of constitution at Baluwatar.