The meeting of the top leaders of the ruling seven-party alliance on Monday agreed to finalize the contentious political issues in the summit talks between the ruling SPA and the Maoists slated for Thursday.
The meeting however, failed to draw any conclusion on the draft of the interim constitution due to conflicting views among the alliance partners regarding the process of deciding the fate of monarchy.
The meeting of the ruling alliance held at the Prime Ministerial residence, Baluwatar, however, agreed to manage the arms of the state and the Maoists based on the five-point letter sent to the United Nations on August 9.
According to the letter to the UN, the Maoists would be staying in cantonment areas while Nepal Army would be limited to the barracks, and the UN would verify Maoist arms and the strength of the People’s Liberation Army.
However, Maoists are saying that they would not go to the cantonment before the political issues are finalized.
The interim constitution drafting committee submitted its incomplete report after Maoists and ruling alliance failed to reach consensus in some key political issues.
The meeting also dwelled on the UN involvement in the arms management process of the country.
The meeting also discussed the issue of whether to decide the fate of monarchy through referendum or the election of the constituent assembly.
Emerging from the meeting, general secretary of the CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal and Nepali Congress general secretary Ram Chandra Poudel told the media that three views emerged during the meeting on the future of monarchy.
According to Poudel, SPA leaders suggested that future of the monarchy should be decided either by the constituent assembly or a referendum or it should be decided even before the constituent assembly election is held.
Though the meeting of the top leaders agreed on forming interim legislature, the meeting could not reach into conclusion on the issue of size and proportion of legislature. The summit talks between the ruling seven party alliance and the Maoists will make final decision in this regard.
A taskforce formed by the SPA to discuss the draft of the interim statute was for 300-seat interim legislature, including the Maoists.
UML general secretary Nepal said the upcoming summit meeting of the top leaders of the SPA and the Maoists, slated for Thursday, would discuss the draft of the interim constitution, arms management, treaties on human rights, ceasefire and the date for election to the constituent assembly.
Nepal said they would also discuss the strength of interim legislature and set principles for forming an interim government.
The meeting also expressed condolence on the demise of the 24 people including state minister for forest and soil conservation Gopal Rai in helicopter crash in Taplejung district.
The meeting also condemned the murder of the RPP parliamentarian of Siraha Krishna Charan Shrestha.
The ruling seven party alliance and the Maoists held their first high level talks on June 16 and reached into an eight-point agreement.