The fifth round of summit talks between the ruling seven-party alliance (SPA) and the Maoists, which is said to be decisive, resumed at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar this evening.

The meeting started at around 4:50 pm. Most of the SPA leaders had arrived in Baluwatar earlier while the Maoist leaders arrived 10 minutes before the scheduled time, 4:00 pm.

No leaders spoke to the press while entering inside the PM’s residence. Unlike in earlier meetings, no major presence of Maoist militias was seen around the talks venue. Police have been mobilised for security.

Civil society activists are staging demonstration outside the PM’s residence, demanding concrete decisions from the summit meeting.

Today’s meeting is expected to finalise the political package prepared by the ruling SPA and Maoists.

The meeting is expected to settle the issue of arms management and the fate of monarchy, interim government and interim parliament and modalities of election to constituent assembly.

Top leader of all eight political parties and members of the government and Maoist talks teams also participating in the summit talks.

Maoist supremo Prachanda called on Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN (UML) General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, leader of the United Leftist Front Prabhu Narayan Chaudhari and discussed the political package this morning.Similarly, Congress President and Prime Minister Koirala, UML general secretary Nepal and NC (Democratic) president Sher Bahadur Deuba held separate meetings before the beginning of the summit level meeting to discuss the possible agreement.

Four round of talks ended inconclusively after the ruling SPA and Maoists failed to find consensus in the issues of Maoist arms management and fate of monarchy.