UCPN (M)-NC discussions taking positive turn

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KATHMANDU: The meeting of the Unified CPN-Maoist and the Nepali Congress held today to settle the contentious issues of the new constitution is said to be heading towards positive direction.

The discussions on state restructuring held at the prime minister's official residence at Baluwatar and it was heading towards a positive direction, Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel said.

He said the number of federal provinces, delineation of their borders and the bases of formation of federal units were discussed.

According to Paudel, although the two parties are close to agreement regarding formation of common view on state restructuring, final decision on this issue has not yet been reached.

The UCPN-Maoist is of the view that the federal units should be formed on the basis of identity and capacity while the Nepali Congress is of the view that the number of federal units should be few as far as possible.

Paudel added that they could not reach to a conclusion as a compromise had to be sought from two conflicting views with the Nepali Congress representatives expressing that the country should be federalised on a scientific and practical way on the basis of consensus whereas the UCPN-Maoist representatives expressing that the country should be federated on the basis of ethnic identity alone.

In the discussions, UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had expressed the view that the issue should be concluded after holding discussions with the Democratic Madhesi Front and other political parties.

The discussion between the two parties, however, did not arrive at a conclusion whether to hold the meeting of the major parties including the Madhesi Front as the meeting of the CPN-UML has not yet concluded.

UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, vice-chairman and Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala, vice-president Paudel and leader Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat participated in the discussions on behalf their respective parties.