SUSHIL KOIRALA BEGINS DAY WITH CONSULTATIONS WITH MADESHBADI FRONTL

SUSHIL KOIRALA, LOKTANTRIK MADESHI MORCHA TALK

Kathmandu, 27 May: Sushil Koirala, president of main opposition NC and second largest party in parliament, began talks shortly after dawn Friday with leaders of the three-party Madesh Loktantrik Front.
The dialogue with the terai parties was Koirala’s first programme of the day with only 39 hours for the tenure of the constituent assembly (CA) to end midnight 28 May.
NC and the front oppose the extension of the assembly tenure without firm commitment from Maoists to complete the peace process by handing over weapons of 19,000 former combatants in containers whose keys are with Maoists.
The parties are also demanding firm plan for integration and integration of the combatants in 28 cantonments and satellite camps.
After five failed attempts amid opposition objections, government will make a sixth attempt in parliament Friday to present a bill for the CA extension for one year through an interim constitution amendment.
Meanwhile,Bharat Jangan has filed a writ petition at the supreme court arguing the government can’t amend the constitution after the court’s historic ruling this week a a fixed two-year CA tenure can’t be indefinitely extended.
The tenure can be extended only for sis months mentioning valid reason of necessity for a limited extension.
A court delivered a verdict on a writ filed by Jangam and another advocate challenging the legality of the CA’s extension by one year in 2010.
A poll result released Thursday said only 27percent approved another extension of the assembly tenure.
A Big Three summit is again being held Friday after an inconclusive meet Thursday.
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