Eight-party leaders meet at Baluwatar; PM not to address the nation today

Top leaders of the eight parties are holding discussion at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar to find a political solution to the crisis in Terai.

Informal meeting began at around 5 pm as the meeting of the eight-party taskforce formed yesterday to suggest ways to resolve the Terai crisis was still underway. The top-level meeting will finalise and announce the decisions of the taskforce.

PM Girija Prasad Koirala, Maoist chairman Prachanda and CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and other senior leaders are participating in the meeting.

The taskforce comprising Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula (Nepali Congress), Ishwor Pokhrel (CPN-UML), Dr Baburam Bhattarai (CPN-Maoist), Bimalendra Nidhi (NC-Democratic), Rajendra Mahato (Nepal Sadbhawana Party-Aandi Devi), Sunil Prajapati (Nepal Workers and Peasants Party) and Ganesh Shah of the Left front, was scheduled to table its decisions before the top leaders’ meeting at 2 pm, but the meeting got extended with differences surfacing within the taskforce regarding key demands of protesting Madhesi groups – proportional representation in the upcoming constituent assembly election on the basis of population and the federal structure of the country.

Meanwhile, PM Koirala, who was scheduled to deliver a key address to the nation following the eight-party meeting, will not be be doing so today. Arjun Narsingh KC told the media at Baluwatar that the PM will address the nation either tomorrow or the day-after after the eight parties reach a 'concrete' agreement. nepalnews.com mk Jan 30 07

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