Pokhara, January 22

Unified CPN-Maoist Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal today expressed confidence that the ongoing political stalemate and disruption of supplies from across the southern border would end in a day or two.

Speaking to journalists, the UCPN-M chief said that an agreement between the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front and the government was quite close at hand. “As the talks are on, the parties involved in the dialogue are close to a compromise. As per the understanding, the issue of provincial boundaries would be settled by a political mechanism while the rest of the agitating parties’ demands would be addressed by amending the constitution very soon,” he informed.

Terming the Rangeli incident “unfortunate” and ruling out that the incident would have any negative bearing on the ongoing talks, Dahal hailed both the government and the Madhesi parties for showing flexibility. “It’s positive that both the government and the agitating parties have now realised the need for an urgent solution to the stalemate,” he said.

Also, Dahal dispelled rumours that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was against talks. “In fact, he is in favour of talks. The government efforts towards amending the constitution is an evidence that the prime minister is in favour talks,” he said adding, that the major parties were ready to delimit electoral constituencies on the basis of population and ensure that each district had at least one electoral constituency.