Maoist nod for simple majority

Parties closer to consensus

BY YUVRAJ ACHARYA & THIRA L BHUSAL
KATHMANDU, JUNE 8

The three big parties in the Constituent Assembly have come closer to a consensus on most of their differences including amendment of the constitution, following parleys at bilateral meetings, Saturday.
They have agreed to a meeting Sunday morning at Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's residence, during which they will set up two tripartite panels - one to prepare a draft of the amendment to the constitution and the other to prepare a package for taking the ongoing peace process to a logical end.

"We have agreed to set up the panels and reach a consensus by day after tomorrow," said Dahal, coming out of a meeting with Nepali Congress leaders at Singhdurbar.

He said the new agreement will cover ways to take the ongoing peace process to a logical end, amend the constitution and prepare a power-sharing deal among the parties.

"We still have pending issues concerning integration of the armies, they (other parties) have called for change in the YCL's working style, return of land and relief to the conflict victims, which is still an unresolved issue, and a commission for disappearances and others are yet to be formed," said Dahal, adding, "We have to address all these."

The second issue to be addressed immediately is amending the constitution, he added. "There is debate over two-third majority and simple majority for forming the government, the constitution has mentioned the names of the seven parties and attached a list of legislators - which are all irrelevant in the present context," said Dahal. He said another issue was related to power-sharing. "Discussion on the issues has been quite positive," he said.

The parties have put constitutional amendment, the peace process and power-sharing in that order of priority, according to NC general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi. He said there was an understanding in principle to address the issues in a package and make a strong commitment to refrain from getting involved in the petty game of frequent change of government at least for a few years or until the new constitution is promulgated.

"We are not against the simple-majority system for formation and ouster of the government but what we wanted is that there should not be space for the petty game of frequent change of government," said Maoist Chairman Dahal.

UML leader Bhim Rawal said the parties would come up with a commitment to a common minimum program to stop such unhealthy practices in future. "The progress made during today's parleys is agreement to immediately end the YCL's paramilitary structure and change its modus-operandi, and an agreement to prepare a draft constitutional amendment."

‘Maoists should have proposed Koirala for prez’

Amidst for and against arguments by leaders of the major political parties over Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as the country's future president, Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula on Saturday said Koirala's name should have been proposed by the Maoists themselves.

During his meeting with Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Saturday, Sitaula said he was surprised the Maoists did not propose Koirala's name, recognizing the octogenarian leader's contribution to leading the country to the present stage.

"During my talks, I told them in context that they (Maoists) should have offered the post to Koirala because of his role from thrashing out the 12-point understanding to successful holding of the Constituent Assembly polls," said Sitaula.

Sitaula said there was no logic behind the argument that a parallel power center will be created when Koirala becomes president with the Maoists holding the position of chief executive in their capacity as the largest party. "The president is above all the party lines and becomes a symbol of the unity of people across the country," Sitaula was quoted as having told the Maoist leader.

"I did not find the Maoists negative towards the concept of making Koirala president but we did not discuss the matter in detail," he said. "We stressed the need for immediately determining the election procedure for the president.

The Maoist supremo, however, said the NC has proposed Koirala's name but his party is not in favor of Koirala because of his age and health factors.

"NC leaders, might be with a view to making him a national figure, have gotten ready to relieve him of all party responsibilities but we still believe he cannot fulfill his responsibility due to his failing health and age," said the Maoist leader. "There will be tension of some type or other for a person of that age, so we are not in favor of giving him that tension and want to put him in some other respectable position."

THE KATHMANDU POST