KATHMANDU: The major parties on Sunday decided to constitute the purported post-earthquake reconstruction authority by immediately bringing in an ordinance. The Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Authority is being set up before the  International Donors’ Conference, scheduled for June 25. It has been learned that the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have finalised the ordinance draft which would be taken to the Cabinet for endorsement today itself. In a four-party meeting held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar, the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic agreed to form the high-level body through an ordinance, while the UCPN-Maoist maintained that a law should be prepared by the Parliament first for that purpose. 'We have prepared the ordinance draft. The ordinance will be endorsed by the Cabinet meeting and taken to the President (for certification),' Deputy Prime Minister Bamdev Gautam, who is also the acting chairman of CPN-UML, told the media after the meeting. The authority will be headed by a chief executive officer, while an advisory council led by the Prime Minister will guide it. Earlier, the NC had argued that the authority would be helpful in convincing the international donors while seeking their support to rebuild Nepal, devastated by the April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks, while the CPN-UML was of the opinion that the forming such a body through ordinance would not look good. They, however, narrowed down their differences over the procedure of formation and reached to the agreement today. READ ALSO:

• NC, UML close to understanding on Reconstruction Authority thru ordinance