NC, UML try to bridge trust gap

KATHMANDU, OCT 30 - With the third extended deadline to resolve contentious issues of new constitution on the doorstep, the ruling Nepali Congess and CPN-UML have intensified internal discussions on whether to adopt a voting process to settle the disputes.

The deliberation is focused on considering a collective understanding on two key constitutional issues—number of federal states and forms of government.

Although the three major parties—NC, UML and UCPN (Maoist)—have engaged in talks to forge consensus on key constitutional issues, leaders of the ruling parties say that the issues will be put to the vote if they fail to find a common ground.

The trust deficit among the parties has only widened after UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli proposed to go for a four-province model.

Top NC and UML leaders on Wednesday attempted to narrow their differences during a meeting at the residence of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala in Baluwatar.

The meeting concluded with a decision to propose a six-province model based on multiple identities and to urge the Maoists to adopt flexibility in the forms of government. The Maoists have stuck to the idea of having a directly-elected President as the head of government. “Resolvable issues will be settled through common understanding. We will have to find an alternative to conclude the rest (of the issues),” said Congress Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel.

UML leaders say efforts to forge consensus among the three parties, and finding a common ground with the NC are going simultaneously. “We could not exactly agree on the issues. But we will sit for another round of talks again tomorrow [Thursday] before meeting the Maoists,” said UML Chief Whip Agni Kharel.

Despite deciding to go for a ‘reformed parliamentary system’, the UML has stuck to its stance of federating the country into as few states as possible for them to be economically viable.

The NC, on the other hand, believes that the proposal to have a minimum number of states would further complicate the negotiation process with the Maoists.