Major parties failed once again on Monday to make headway for ending the prolonged impasse in Parliament, with the ruling coalition and the main opposition sticking to their guns.

Though the three parties—Nepali Congress, CPN Maoist (Centre) and CPN-UML—acknowledged the need for holding local, provincial and federal elections by November-December, the House proceedings were obstructed after UML chairman KP Sharma Oli reiterated his stance of withdrawing the constitution amendment bill first.

During a meeting held at Singha Durbar, senior leaders of the ruling parties are said to have urged the main opposition to allow Parliament to resume later in the day, suggesting that they could register a note of dissent or defeat the amendment bill.

Oli, however, said his party was firm on its bottom line. 

“We will continue to obstruct the House until the government withdraws the amendment bill. Once the bill is taken back, the House proceedings will automatically resume and the country will head to the polls,” the former prime minister told reporters after the meeting.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Narayan Kaji Shrestha from the Maoist Centre, NC’s Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ram Chandra Poudel, and Bamdev Gautam and Oli from the UML attended the meeting.

The UML has been obstructing House business, ever since the government registered the statute amendment bill in Parliament on November 29, claiming that it was not in the best interest of the people. The NC and Maoist Centre, in separate meetings with the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha on Friday and Saturday, respectively, had pledged to table the bill on Monday despite the opposition standing in the way.

NC senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel said they would hold more rounds of dialogue for sorting the issue.