HLPC show must go on for now: Parties
KATHMANDU, DEC 16 -
The major parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist) and Madhesi parties—on Sunday decided to continue the High-level Political Committee until the formation of a new government that will replace the Interim Election Council formed nine months ago.
The UML, the only party that was against giving continuity to the HLPC , did not protest against the decision, but said that the CA, as an elected and legitimate body, should take the helm. The March 13 cross-party agreement has it that the HLPC tenure would be till Sunday.
NC and UCPN (M) leaders said that since the HLPC helped the parties form the incumbent government and holding the CA election, its ‘political legitimacy’ has been established and that it should be kept intact.
Sunday’s HLPC meeting agreed to convene a meeting of the cross-party mechanism in line with the mutual understanding reached among the parties. The meeting, however, failed to find a common position on the demands raised by that UCPN (M) that an independent panel should be formed to investigate the alleged poll rigging.
In the HLPC meeting held at the office of Peace Trust Fund, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed a motion to request the Election Commission to extend the deadline for the submission of names of candidates under the proportional representation election, which expires on December 18. Dahal assured NC and UML leaders that his party was ready to join the CA and sought more time to do so.
Talks among the parties are heading towards a positive direction about addressing the UCPN (M) demands, a sign that the first meeting of the CA will be held early after finalising the names of CA members.
Earlier in the day, the Maoist party, in an informal meeting with the NC, sought more time to manage its intra-party disputes and convince the fringe parties who are forging an alliance with it following the election results.
The NC positively reacted to the Maoist proposal, while the UML refused to extend the deadline, saying that such a move is not a guarantee of political consensus.
After UML leaders refused the UCPN (M) demand, top Maoist leaders walked out of the HLPC meeting, ruling out the need of a dialogue among the parties. A Congress leader said the parties were likely to make a request to extend the deadline for the submission of final PR lists. Later, in a separate meeting with the NC, UML leaders gave thumbs up to the Maoist demand. “We have to understand the intra-party grievances of all the parties if we are serious about moving ahead as per political consensus,” said NC General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula after the meeting, hinting at the ongoing intra-party feud inside the Maoist party and its demand to extend the deadline to submit the PR lists to the EC.
Cross-party leaders said that efforts to find a common position on the demand raised by the UCPN (M) that an independent panel should be formed to probe vote rigging were going on. The parties have already agreed to reaffirm their commitment to federalism, secularism and achievements made by the erstwhile CA.
A senior Maoist leader close to Dahal said the meeting point could be a commitment among the parties about their demands and leaving the parliament to take a final call on the issue.
Leaders also said that UCPN (M) has realised that it is not possible to form an independent panel outside the CA and Constitutional Court.
Another HLPC meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday morning under the chair of NC President Sushil Koirala.
The major parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist) and Madhesi parties—on Sunday decided to continue the High-level Political Committee until the formation of a new government that will replace the Interim Election Council formed nine months ago.
The UML, the only party that was against giving continuity to the HLPC , did not protest against the decision, but said that the CA, as an elected and legitimate body, should take the helm. The March 13 cross-party agreement has it that the HLPC tenure would be till Sunday.
NC and UCPN (M) leaders said that since the HLPC helped the parties form the incumbent government and holding the CA election, its ‘political legitimacy’ has been established and that it should be kept intact.
Sunday’s HLPC meeting agreed to convene a meeting of the cross-party mechanism in line with the mutual understanding reached among the parties. The meeting, however, failed to find a common position on the demands raised by that UCPN (M) that an independent panel should be formed to investigate the alleged poll rigging.
In the HLPC meeting held at the office of Peace Trust Fund, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed a motion to request the Election Commission to extend the deadline for the submission of names of candidates under the proportional representation election, which expires on December 18. Dahal assured NC and UML leaders that his party was ready to join the CA and sought more time to do so.
Talks among the parties are heading towards a positive direction about addressing the UCPN (M) demands, a sign that the first meeting of the CA will be held early after finalising the names of CA members.
Earlier in the day, the Maoist party, in an informal meeting with the NC, sought more time to manage its intra-party disputes and convince the fringe parties who are forging an alliance with it following the election results.
The NC positively reacted to the Maoist proposal, while the UML refused to extend the deadline, saying that such a move is not a guarantee of political consensus.
After UML leaders refused the UCPN (M) demand, top Maoist leaders walked out of the HLPC meeting, ruling out the need of a dialogue among the parties. A Congress leader said the parties were likely to make a request to extend the deadline for the submission of final PR lists. Later, in a separate meeting with the NC, UML leaders gave thumbs up to the Maoist demand. “We have to understand the intra-party grievances of all the parties if we are serious about moving ahead as per political consensus,” said NC General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula after the meeting, hinting at the ongoing intra-party feud inside the Maoist party and its demand to extend the deadline to submit the PR lists to the EC.
Cross-party leaders said that efforts to find a common position on the demand raised by the UCPN (M) that an independent panel should be formed to probe vote rigging were going on. The parties have already agreed to reaffirm their commitment to federalism, secularism and achievements made by the erstwhile CA.
A senior Maoist leader close to Dahal said the meeting point could be a commitment among the parties about their demands and leaving the parliament to take a final call on the issue.
Leaders also said that UCPN (M) has realised that it is not possible to form an independent panel outside the CA and Constitutional Court.
Another HLPC meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday morning under the chair of NC President Sushil Koirala.
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