National
Oli, Deuba for finding way out through trilateral meet
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expedited talks with top leaders of major parties to find a way out for the amendment proposal to be registered in Parliament following a meeting of his party’s headquarters.Tika R Pradhan
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expedited talks with top leaders of major parties to find a way out for the amendment proposal to be registered in Parliament following a meeting of his party’s headquarters.
PM Dahal held discussions with NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Thursday morning and Chairman of the main opposition UML KP Sharma Oli in the evening.
During his meeting with Oli, PM Dahal sought UML’s support to the amendment proposal but Oli proposed to hold tripartite discussions on the matter.
According to PM Dahal’s press advisor Govinda Acharya, Oli had agreed to hold discussions among top leaders of the three major parties to expedite the amendment process. But he refused to divulge details about the Dahal-Oli meeting that is said to have lasted 45 minutes.
Dahal and NC President Deuba also agreed on expediting talks with the major parties on garnering consensus on amendment proposal especially with UML, aide to the NC chief Bhanu Deuba said.
Meanwhile, the meeting of CPN (Maoist Centre) headquarters focused only on delineation of provinces—the most contentious issue.
During the meeting, Maoist leaders discussed the prospect of finding a middle path between the two extremes—NC, and UML and agitating Sanghiya Gathabandhan—on the toughest issue of delineation of provinces.
“We are trying to find the best alternative,” said Maoist Centre leader Dev Gurung.
PM Dahal had earlier said that the process to draft amendment proposal had started. Addressing a political training to the party’s student wing All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary on Wednesday, the Maoist chief had claimed that he would table such a proposal that the main opposition UML cannot reject.
Sources, however, claimed that the speakers at Thursday’s meeting, including leaders Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Barshaman Pun, Chakrapani Khanal, Shakti Basnet, Lokendra Bista and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, were against the idea of accommodating Pyuthan, Rolpa, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi and Baglung into Province 4. They claim it would weaken the party’s base on the ground.
On the other hand, during a recent gathering in Butwal UML had strongly objected to a proposal to split Province 5.