The ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) and Nepali Congress have agreed in principle to table the constitution amendment bill and election-related bills in Parliament after the Madhes-based parties gave their fresh assurance to take part in the polls after charter revision.

During a joint meeting held at the prime minister’s residence on Tuesday evening, the governing parties and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha also agreed to make fresh efforts to reach out to the CPN-UML with a package deal that would include the proposal to proceed with the impeachment motion of suspended anti-corruption commission chief Lokman Singh Karki.

Tuesday’s meeting comes as a sort of breakthrough given the readiness shown by the regional parties to participate in the polls. It, however, remains to be seen how the government will take on board the main opposition UML, which has been demanding the government roll back the amendment bill.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal told the leaders that he hoped the UML would cooperate in resuming the parliamentary proceedings. He said the government was trying to reach a package deal with the second largest party to end the stalemate. Such a deal, said the PM, would include the amendment bill, election-related bills and impeachment motion against Karki.

“There is a chance that the UML will agree to tabling the amendment bill if we support the impeachment motion,” Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Vice-chairman Brijesh Chandra Lal quoted Dahal as saying. He said the parties had agreed to meet later this week to work out the details of the package deal.

Speaking on behalf of the Madhes-based parties, TMLP Chairman Mahantha Thakur said they have no objection to a “package deal” as long as it ensures amendments to the constitution.

Lal said that the regional parties had pledged support to the election in exchange for taking forward the amendment bill.

Other Madhesi leaders warned the government against the talk of keeping the amendment bill inactive as asked by the UML.

“We asked them to table the amendment bill and the election-related bills together. Leaders from both the NC and the CPN (Maoist Centre) assured us that the bill will be tabled for discussion,” Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato told the Post. Following the meeting, Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the coalition told the meeting about the government’s readiness to announce the election date as any further delay would make holding three tiers of polls within January, 2018 impossible.

Talking with journalists after the meeting, Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel said the Morcha wanted assurances of statute amendment before declaring the elections.