KATHMANDU: The ongoing central committee (CC) meeting of the ruling

CPN-UML today formed a seven-member team led by standing

committee member KP Sharma Oli to hold talks with other political parties and look for a national

consensus on political issues

and the peace and constitution-drafting processes.

The members of the team include Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Bhim Rawal, Ashtha Laxmi Shakya, Ramchandra Jha, Pradip Gyawali and Ghanashyam Bhusal. Party general secretary Ishwor Pokharel said the Oli-led panel will try its best to strike a consensus on contentious political issues, peace and constitution. He said the party has kept all options open in this regard.

Pokharel said the team will

also hold discussions with other parties on the proposed common sankalpa prastav (stricture motion) to address the protracted

political deadlock.

A meeting of the High-Level Political Mechanism led by NC president G P Koirala had earlier directed the six-member task force of the three major parties to come up with a consensual proposal on the sankalpa prastav. But the task force has yet to reach an understanding on the contents of the motion.

The party also formed a team to launch a nationwide campaign to raise awareness on the peace and constitution-making processes. The meeting had proposed party vice-president Bamdev Gautam to lead the team. However, he refused to lead citing health reasons, a central committee member said.

Krishna Gopal Shrestha, a UML central committee member, said the meeting has started debates on a draft of the new constitution, prepared by a panel led by Bharat Mohan Adhikari. The Adhikari panel has proposed carving out 15 federal units in the draft constitution. But most of the central committee members, who aired views today on state restructuring and forms of governance, were opposed to the idea of the 15 units.

Shrestha said a majority of the members rejected the idea, saying that it would be unfeasible from their functional point of view. It may be recalled that the Constituent Assembly Committee on State Restructuring and Distribution of State Power has proposed 14 federal units, two being in the Tarai-Madhes and the rest in the hill and mountain regions.

The CC meeting also debated on the forms of governance. However, the members were divided into three schools of thought on it.

Some members who are loyal to party president Jhalanath Khanal aired views in favour of electing the executive Prime Minister directly by the people, while others who are close to Oli aired views supporting the modified version of parliamentary democracy with a provision of ceremonial president as head of state. A third option was also floated by some members.