NC meet discusses summit talks agendas; Thursday’s summit meeting uncertain

September 27, 2006
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An informal meeting of the central working committee of the Nepali Congress (NC) discussed the agendas of the upcoming summit meeting Wednesday.

The meeting held at the residence of Prime Minister Girja Prasad Koirala in Baluatar discussed issues like management of arms, interim government and interim parliament, party’s stand on monarchy and a referendum in order to decide the fate of monarchy as demanded by the Maoists and some parties within the seven-party alliance (SPA) including the CPN (UML).

At the beginning of the meeting, PM Koirala, who heads the NC, told the CWC members to become clear about the position of the party on these issues, NC sources said. The meeting lasted for nearly three hours but no formal decision was taken.

Vice-president Sushil Koirala, general secretary Ram Chandra Poudel, Home Minister KP Sitaula, Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Dr Ram Saran Mahat, Arjun Narsingh KC, Mahesh Acharya, Shekhar Koirala and few other CWC members were present at the meeting.

The meeting came ahead of a summit meeting between the top leaders of the SPA and the Maoist leadership. Though PM Koirala had a few weeks earlier said publicly that the King should be given some space but his party has not decided anything officially on the issue of monarchy.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the summit meeting scheduled for Thursday has been postponed ‘indefinitely’ as the government has decided to conduct the funeral of late Minister of State for Forest and Soil Conservation, Gopal Rai, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday, along with 23 others, amidst state honour on the same day.

PM Koirala told the NC CWC meeting that he would rearrange the date of summit talks after negotiation with Maoist chairman Prachanda, according to sources. NC leaders had stressed that the summit talks should be organised only after the party as well as the SPA finalise the talks agendas.

Likewise, speaking at a programme in Kathmandu, Minister for Industries, Commerce and Supplies, Hriyayesh Tripathi, also hinted at the postponement of summit talks. “Summit talks will definitely be held within days. There may be delay of one or two days.”

Nepal Workers and Peasants Party chairman Narayanman Bijukchhe said he was not sure whether the summit talks would take place on the scheduled date. “Nothing can be said at the moment. In the first place, the seven parties haven’t reached consensus on key issues like interim government, interim parliament and management of arms,” he told state-owned Radio Nepal.