Kathmandu, April 25:

A high-level formal meeting between the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist today agreed to push the agenda of a republic at the upcoming eight-party meeting, which has not taken place due to “political deadlock” among the parties concerned.

“This was the first-ever formal meeting between UML and the Maoists. We agreed that the country must be declared a republic — either through a referendum or by the parliament — whichever is agreed upon at the eight-party meeting,” said UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal following the meeting at UML party headquarters in Balkhu.

Nepal told mediapersons that besides agreeing on declaring the country a republic, they also agreed that the date for constituent assembly election should be declared soon and eight-party meet be held at the earliest.

Asked whether the Nepali Congress would agree to their proposal of declaring the country a republic before the assembly elections, Nepal said, “NC may agree on it.”

He said they would table a proposal for a republic at the upcoming eight-party meeting.

The NC has been insisting that the future of the monarchy would be decided by a simple majority of the first meeting of the constituent assembly, which has also been mentioned in the interim constitution.

Maoist supremo Prachanda said they agreed, in principle, that the country should be declared a republic. “But we are yet to reach an understanding on whether a referendum should be held or the parliament should take the decision,” Prachanda said.

He said they also discussed ways of bringing an end to the “existing political deadlock” among the eight parties and of maintaining their unity. “We want the eight parties to go together for a republic,” Prachanda said. “If other parties did not agree on our proposal, UML and the Maoists will go to the people with a republican agenda during the assembly election.”

Prachanda said he will also hold talks with the NC leadership about the republican agenda and date for the assembly election.

A joint press statement issued at the end of the three-hour-long meeting said both the parties agreed to form a two-member taskforce to settle the problems between the UML and the Maoists. Yuvaraj Gyawali of the UML and Post Bahadur Bogati of the CPN-Maoist are members of the taskforce.

Besides Prachanda, Maoist leaders Mohan Baidhya, CP Gajurel, Dinanath Sharma and Barsaman Pun attended the meeting. Besides Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Amrit Kumar Bohara and Bishnu Poudel represented the UML at the meeting.