KATHMANDU: Major political parties and the protesting United Democratic Madhesi Front on Monday agreed to forward the talks between them based on the progress made by their task forces. The top leaders of major three political parties - Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN-Maoist - held a meeting with the UDMF leaders today and made and agreement to continue the talks based on the task forces' agreement. 'Today, the talks were held in a very harmonious way,' UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said after the meeting, 'We have agreed to sit for talks again and end (the stalemate) based on the point where the task forces had reached.' He added that the talks would be held soon again. In January first half, two task forces representing the Big III and the UDMF each had been holding series of talks in a bid to convince the agitating alliance for an amendment to the Constitution so as to address their concerns. The task forces, however, could not prepare any concrete agreement, on which the top leaders could agree and the Constitution Amendment Bill was endorsed without the UDMF consent on January 23. Since then, no talk was held between the two sides. READ ALSO:

• Major parties, UDMF talk 1st time after Constitution amendment

The Front had been accusing the government and major parties of “unilaterally imposing” the amendment as the Constitution was imposed on September 20. Only on Sunday, the alliance of ruling parties, the High Level Political Coordination Committee, had decided to continue talks with the protesting parties in a bid to seek a peaceful solution to the ongoing unrest. Following the HLPCC decision, the Committee coordinator UCPN-Maoist Chairman Dahal had taken special initiatives to resume the talks.