The CPN (UML), a key ally of the seven-party alliance, has formed a team to negotiate with the Maoists, various political parties and the civil society.

A meeting of the Standing Committee held at the UML central office, Balkhu, Thursday formed the five-member talks team headed by senior leader Jhal Nath Khanal. Deputy prime minister KP Sharma Oli, Amrit Bohora, Bamdev Gautam and Bharat Mohan Adhikari also are in the talks team which will soon start negotiations with the leaders of the CPN (Maoist), various political parties and the civil society, a statement issued by the UML said.

The Standing Committee meeting also formed another committee under Bharat Mohan Adhikari to prepare the outline of the new constitution. Committee members include Ishwor Pokhrel, Surendra Pandey, Rajendra Shrestha, Ram Chandra Jha, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Prithivi Subba Gurung and Gokarna Bista.

Saying that there were no hassles in the distribution of ministerial births within the SPA, the UML meeting asked party leader Pradeep Nepal, who resigned on Tuesday citing dissatisfaction over the party’s decision to accept ministries other than those previously demanded by party, to withdraw his resignation from the Standing Committee. Saying that the way he made his statement was wrong, the meeting also directed him to realize his mistake.

The party also condemned the manhandling of party leader Pradeep Gyawali by a group of unruly people while coming out of Singh Durbar yesterday.