Parties to seek consensus on House agenda row in package

KATHMANDU: Major political parties have agreed to sit for discussions to sort out differences regarding the agenda of the Legislature-Parliament meeting in a package.

There are disputes among the political parties that which--no-trust motion against the Prime Minister or budget-related bills-- should be discussed first.

Political parties spent the entire day today to find a consensus on the matter, but to no avail.

It may be noted that the Parliament Secretariat had earlier published a three-day calendar to hold discussions on the no-confidence motion from today. But the House session was postponed for Friday by issuing a notice.

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Earlier today, Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had met at the New Baneshwor-based Parliament building in a bid to build an agreement over the issue. Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar had facilitated the meeting among top leaders of three major political parties.

Talking to mediapersons following the meeting, the Speaker said the meeting ended positively and expressed her hope that the political parties would reach to the consensus by Friday.

Likewise, emerging from the meeting, NC President Deuba said the three parties were yet to find an agreement on the issue.

"On the one hand, the Prime Minister is saying that he will face the no-trust motion; while on the other, he says he will not allow the Parliament to execute the motion," complained leader Deuba.

Paudel's proposal

Though discussions on a proposal put forth by NC senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel for consensus had been positive in the meeting, the major parties could not reach to a logical conclusion.

However, the parties have agreed to sit for next rounds of talks tomorrow to what they argued to seek a solution in a package.

NC leader Paudel has proposed to first pass the budget-related bills by withdrawing the no-trust motion. Then the Prime Minister would resign and a process to form the new government would be initiated.

He insisted the need of a package deal among the political parties to sort out the contemporary disputes and ensure implementation of the Constitution.

According to NC Chief Whip Chinkaji Shrestha, the Prime Minister rejected Paudel's proposal and stressed the need of revising the Constitution first. He, however, assured that he would take the proposal to his party and the government partners for discussions, Shrestha said.

Similarly, CPN-UML Chief Whip Bhanubhakta Dhakal said the meeting discussed various possible areas for consensus.

CPN Maoist Centre leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara said the Parliament meeting was postponed by a day in a hope of finding the package deal.