UCPN (M), NC agree to go to polls if no consensus by next week

Top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress Wednesday agreed to go for elections if the parties do not reach consensus by the end of Bhadra (Sept 16).

A meeting of the two parties held at Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's Lazimpat residence arrived at the understanding and decided to initiate comprehensive talks between three major parties from Thursday.

Emerging from the meeting, NC general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula said the discussion dwelt mainly on the option of reinstatement of the Constituent Assembly for a brief period if the parties settle the disputed issues of the constitution.

The leaders also agreed that the parties should opt for polls instead of prolonging the deadlock if they failed to arrive at an agreement by the end of Bhadra, Situala added.

According to Sitaual, the NC reiterated that a NC-led national unity government should be formed irrespective of what the agreement would be and that Maoist chairman Dahal said his party was positive about the NC's demand. nepalnews.com