Hours after a dispute between the Maoist ministers and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala which led to the suspension of the cabinet meeting in the morning, Maoist chairman Prachanda met with Koirala at the latter’s residence in Baluwatar.

The half-hour long meeting between the two leaders focused mainly on finding ways to narrow down the growing differences within the eight-party alliance, especially between the Maoists and the Prime Minister, sources said.

They also discussed the Maoist proposal for announcement of republic should the constituent assembly polls be deferred, but there was no clear-cut understanding.

Senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai was also present at the meeting.

Maoist ministers had briefed Prachanda about the dispute at the cabinet meeting after the Prime Minister dismissed the remarks of Matrika Yadav, the Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation, who claimed that army officials were involved in tree felling and poaching of endangered animals. The meeting was suspended as the Maoist ministers walked out.

The Maoist ministers had a separate meeting before briefing Prachanda about the dispute.

In another development, Maoist lawmakers today disrupted today’s sitting of the interim parliament demanding a public apology from the Home Minister for the police raids in the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) offices on Sunday.

Speaker Subash Nemwang announced the House sitting adjourned after they gheraoed the rostrum and chanted slogans demanding clarification on the police raids.