A central committee meeting of the CPN-UML Tuesday approved the Maoists’ demand for a roundtable conference, putting forth another demand for an interim government, published reports said Wednesday.

UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal presented the proposal at the meeting that began on Tuesday, Nepal Samacharpatra said.

“The 10-point UML ‘roadmap’ calls for removal of the present government to form an all-party government, which would hold talks with the Maoists and organize a roundtable conference of all political forces and form an interim government comprising the Maoists also,” the daily said.

Nepal, in his proposal, has claimed that only an interim government will be able to hold general elections in which Maoists would also participate, the daily said.

“Though the proposal stresses on the need of new constitution, it does not stand in favour of the Maoist demand of constituent assembly.”

The parliament set up after general elections, the UML said, will draft the new constitution. The party said that the present constitution should be better called an interim constitution.

The crucial point of the proposal is said to be the management of the arms possessed by the Maoists. Nepal’s proposal has it that the Maoists surrender their weapons in surveillance of the UN, the daily said. nepalnews.com mr/mk Jan 7