The meeting of the senior leaders of major three parties- ruling UCPN (Maoist) and opposition Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) - held at Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's new residence at Lazimpat Thursday morning to find a way out of current political deadlock has ended inconclusively.

The meeting was called by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai amid widening rift between the ruling Maoist party and the opposition parties over the controversial government decision to legalise land transactions carried out by Maoist "people's governments" during the decade-long insurgency.

However, the discussion hit a snag after the Maoist party maintained that government decision on war-era land and property transactions cannot be reviewed or revoked and the opposition parties NC and UML remained adamant on their earlier stance that the decision that is in breach of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the interim constitution should be scrapped without delay.

During the meeting that started at 9 AM and went on for more than an hour, the Maoist side argued that the Cabinet decision to legalise land and property transactions made by Maoist run parallel governments during insurgency was "inherent part of the peace process" and cannot be revoked.

In response, NC and UML leaders said that the twin task of constitution drafting and peace process cannot move ahead - and they will make sure it doesn't - until the government withdraws the controversial decision .

The opposition parties also warned that they will continue obstructing the parliamentary proceedings to oppose the government decision.

Meanwhile, the meeting of the Maoist office bearers held before the three-party meeting today morning has urged the Maoist-led government not to withdraw its decision to legalise war-time land and property transactions. nepalnews.com