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Parties prepare for crucial meeting

Senior leader of seven parties are preparing to hold a crucial meeting, Saturday, to seal an agreement to break the deadlock and avert the possible constitutional crisis.

A number of leaders are gathering at Baluwatar, the official residence of the prime minister. Maoist leaders Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Ram Bahadur Thapa aka Badal, UML leader Jhalanath Khanal and People's Front leader Amik Sherchan are said to have reached Baluwatar in the morning itself.

The parties had failed to ink the pact on Friday after a new dispute emerged regarding the redistribution of cabinet portfolios. Although they claimed to have reached compromise on republic and proportional representation system, the Maoist demand for deputy prime minister's position and one of the Home, Finance and Defense portfolios has once again rocked the seven party boat as NC has refused to meet those demands.

On republic, the parties are learnt to have agreed to insert a seven party commitment on republic declaration in the interim constitution but subject to implementation through the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly. Likewise, in the election system issue, they are nearing compromise on 60-40 formula whereby the percentage of members to be elected on proportional basis will be increased to 60.

The parties are also staring at a possible constitutional crisis if they do not find a compromise by Saturday evening. The interim constitution states that the CA election will be held by December 15. The parties need to amend that provision in the constitution through the parliament, which is sitting in the afternoon at around 4 pm on Saturday. nepalnews.com sd Dec 15 07