Five days after the Maoist chairman Prachanda and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala met in Baluwatar agreeing to hold summit meeting ‘within 2-3 days,’ there is still no sign of such meeting happening anytime soon.

But that could all change if, indeed, there is a “miraculous conclusion” as claimed by Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara in Nepalgunj on Thursday.

In the past few days, efforts have intensified not only among the political parties but also external actors regarding the peace process. On Friday alone, there were two significant meetings – one between PM Koirala and US ambassador James Moriarty and another between Prachanda and Ian Martin – the Personal Representative of Kofi Annan for Nepal.

Both the meetings are said to have revolved around the issue of arms management. It has been learnt that the Maoists have agreed to lock up their weapons (under single lock) at designated arsenal/s but the key will have to be given to them. This position, however, has not drawn enough support from the political parties.

Prime Minister Koirala reportedly wants either double lock system – with one key given to Maoists and UN each – or have a UN seal along with single lock as proposed by the Maoists.

On Friday, Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of Nepali Congress (Democratic), stated in a public program in Pokhara that for arms management to be credible, there should be ‘double lock system.’

On the other hand, India and the US, too, have pressed for credible management of arms. “My government feels that the issue of arms management is fundamental. There must be an arms management, which is complete and credible,” Indian ambassador Shiv Shankar Mukherjee said on Thursday.

Likewise, American ambassador Moriarty has said that any form of arms management must ensure that people of Nepal feel secure.

As such, these series of informal deliberations could culminate in the summit meeting only after the two sides reach to mutually acceptable point on the issue of arms management.