Kathmandu, August 22 :

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who is also coordinator of the government talks team, today reassured Laxman Aryal that the draft of the interim constitution can be presented to the government and the Maoist talks teams on Friday. The team was formed on June 16.

But whether the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee (ICDC) will be able to complete the draft in all respects is still unclear as of today, with the seven-party alliance and the rebels yet to come up with a consensus on the status of the monarch in the interim phase, among other things.

The talks among the seven-party alliance teams and rebels to come to a common stance have so far failed to throw up any common stance. It has been also learned that the Aryal committee has been told to hand over the draft to the team on Friday regardless of whether the parties come up with common stance or not. While the committee has finished all the spadework, it is yet to complete the crucial section of the constitution since it has not yet been conveyed the common stance of the parties including Maoists.

Home Minister Sitaula is learned to have told the cabinet that the draft will have to be received on Friday since it was agreed on Monday evening.

In a significant decision, the government today addressed the demands put up by the stirring temporary university teachers by deciding to create further 900 vacancies in campuses under the Tribhuvan University, it has been further learned.

A task force has been formed to work out the modality of appointing university teachers on contract basis by the end of a month.

Other issues which figured in the meeting include how to go about once the UN team comes.

The government, it has been learned, has initiated the process to amend section of the Civil Service Act.