Bhaktapur, August 3:

CPN-UML and Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party have agreed to form a national consensus government with an agreed common minimum programme among the parties. The agreement was reached at a meeting of the top leaders of these parties held at NWPP central party office today.

Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, CPN-UML general secretary Jhala Nath Khanal said the CPN-Maoist needed to initiate and take leadership role for the formation of the national consensus government.

He said the formation of a majority government was not appropriate in the present context and added that the Nepali Congress should join the national government.

The alliance between the UML, NC and MJF has ended with the election of the President, he said, adding: “The CPN-UML will not join the government if it is not the unity government.”

Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party president Narayan Man Bijukchhe said the national consensus government of the parties was needed to draft a new constitution and bring the peace process to a logical conclusion.

“All parties should move ahead by forging a consensus as the new constitution cannot be drafted without support of a two-third

majority in the Constituent Assembly,” Bijukchhe said, stating that the Nepali Congress should also join the consensus government.

He said the Constituent Assembly would face hurdles while drafting the new constitution if big parties like the Nepali Congress stayed in the opposition.

“Our party will help with the formation of a national consensus government,” Bijukchhe added.

He said that fringe parties could play the opposition’s role in the parliament.