Nepal seven parties continue efforts to end political crisis

Top leaders of the seven parties resumed talks on Thursday in an attempt to end the current political crisis.

Kathmandu, Oct 4 : Top leaders of the seven parties resumed talks on Thursday in an attempt to end the current political crisis.

The parties are expected to take a final decision on the Maoist demands. The Maoists, who went out of the Government last month, have given the deadline of Thursday midnight.

If their demands are not met, they have threatened to launch a nationwide protest.

The Maoists have been asking for immediate abolition of monarchy and proportional representation in the Constituent Assembly polls.

As of now it is unlikely that a settlement would be reached. The assessment is that declaration of Nepal a republic by the Government will have no credibility.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has also declared that his Nepali Congress party would support a federal republic instead of constitutional monarchy, but a final decision awaits the decision of the Constituent Assembly.

The parties have to submit their closed-list on Friday for the forthcoming elections.

Analysts of the Nepalese scene feel that the Maoists fear that they would not fare well in the polls under the present election procedure and therefore are pressing for the proportional representation system.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has been stating that he is willing to agree on a commitment proposal on the future of the country to be a republic, but the final decision has to get the clearance through the Constituent Assembly and nothing more.

Koirala, during his meeting today with visiting Finnish Under Secretary of State for International Development (Cooperation and Policy) Marjatta Rasi has said that an amicable solution to the present deadlock would be found in a day or two and that the Constituent Assembly elections will be held according to the schedule on November 22.

Rasi is learnt to have expressed concern that there should be no delay in holding the polls for the Constituent Assembly.

The international community is also pressing for elections as scheduled.

Ian Martin, representative of the United Nations Secretary General to Nepal, called on Maoist chairman Prachanda Thursday morning in an effort to convince the Maoist leaders to be soft on their demands.

ANI