KATHMANDU: Standing committee meeting of the UCPN-Maoist today approved its earlier stance to create the autonomous states on the basis of nationality instead of ethnicity.

"We don't want caste dominate the issue of federalism. Hence, we've decided to make nationality the basis for creating autonomous states," said Narayankaji Shrestha 'Prakash', vice-chairman of the party.

Spokesperson Dinanath Sharma said the party's standing committee dealt seriously on restructuring of the states being the issue of national importance.

"After hearing the opinions of the members of the committee, chiefs of ethnic and regional fronts and the in-charges of the state committees, the party chairman Prachanda concluded the meeting with his remark," he said.

Sharma said the meeting also decided that nationality, however, would not be the sole basis for carving the states. "

“Economic viability, administrative advantage, natural resources, language and culture, among others, should also be considered,"Sharma said.

The meeting also concluded that the existing concept of the party to divide the country in 13 autonomous states was appropriate as all the parties came up at the CA with similar concept.

He also claimed that his party's concept on the states was similar to that of the CPN-UML.

"As demarcation of republican states is not an easy task, we will discuss with experts before coming to any conclusion," he added.