Summit meeting ends without any breakthrough, another meeting slated for Thursday (4:15 p.m.)

The seven-hour-long summit meeting between the leaders of seven parties and the Maoists has ended without any breakthrough.

The meeting ended just before 4 pm with leaders agreeing to meet again at 2 pm on Thursday.

Today's meeting revolved around the key contentious issues such as arms management, status of the King and interim arrangement (interim constitution and parliament). Initial reports say that the leaders were able to reach a consensus understanding to hold the elections of Constituent Assembly by April/May next year. They also reportedly agreed to appoint commissioners at the Election Commission within mid-October as an essential prerequisite for holding the polls.

The leaders at the summit meeting have assigned the talks teams of the government and the Maoists to do necessary homework on contentious issues before Thursday's meeting.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is learnt to have asked the Maoists to agree for arms management before CA elections to which Maoist chairman Prachanda replied by saying that they were OK with arms management so long as other political issues are also dealt in a package form. nepalnews.com sd Oct 10 06

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