BAIDYA ASKS PRACHANDA NOT TO GIVE IN TO NC, UML DEMANDS Kathmandu, 26 May: The establishment faction of the UCPN-Maoist has discussed the recent political developments with the faction led by Vice-Chairman Mohan Baidya on Friday, RSS reports. At a meeting held at party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s residence, Lazimpat, they discussed how the party would cope with the time after May 27. Chairman Dahal’s aide, Shiva Khakurel informed media that both sides talked about the stands the party has taken, and decided to take party ahead in united manner. The Baidya faction, in the meeting, urged Chairman Dahal to stick to the party’s stand of devising either 10 or 14 provinces while restructuring the country. Similarly, the new constitution should ensure the issues of all ethnicities, classes, regions, genders, women, dalit, and indigenous nationalities among others, stressed the Baidya faction. In the meeting, the Baidya faction said if the party remained firm on the stance it would make the party unity stronger and pro-people constitution would be made and also urged the Maoist Chairperson to not show flexibility to the stances put forth by the status quoist forces, the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML The meeting also discussed the role the party should play in the context when the Supreme Court had issued stay order to not extend the Constituent Assembly (CA) term. Also discussed in the meeting was about the resolving the problems surfaced in the party and strengthening the organisational base. Nnnn SATURDAY’S MEETING OF PARTIES COULD BE DECISIVE Kathmandu, 26 May: Kathmandu, 26 May: Major political parties represented in the Constituent Assembly have pledged a decisive meeting on Saturday, a day before the deadline to promulgate constitution Expires, The Rising Nepal reports. The leaders were busy in internal, bilateral and trilateral talks throughout Friday to work out agreement. As the meetings were still inconclusive, uncertainty looms about the new constitution. The Supreme Court has ruled that the CA will be dissolved if the new constitution is not promulgated by Sunday. It is still not clear what political course the nation will take after May 27 if the constitution is not promulgated. The leaders promised a decisive meeting on Saturday as the meetings of the UCPN- Maoist, Nepali Congress , CPN-UML and United Democratic Madheshi Front held in two successive sessions at the Prime Minister’s office at Singha Durbar failed to reach an agreement. Chairman of the CPN-UML Jhala Nath Khanal said that the parties could not reach an agreement as they remained firm on their own stance regarding the number, name and delineation of federal provinces. UCPN- Maoist vice chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that if the parties failed to work with unity and collaboration, the nation may head to disaster. Unity has remained the focal point of all the leaders, he added. The meeting was attended by Maoist chairman Prachanda, UML chief Khanal, NC chief Sushil Koirala and Madheshi forum leader and Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar. Earlier, the top leaders had held talks with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav. Meanwhile, three major parties were sharply divided over the name and demarcation of federal units. The four political forces were polarised on adopting single-identity or multi-identity based federalism at the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office at Singh Durbar on Friday. The Maoist party and the Madheshi front have stood in favour of federal states based on single ethnic identity while NC and CPN-UML are insisting for multi identity as basis for federalisation. The parties have already started to blame each other for the possible void to be created after May 27. How can consensus be forged if all parties keep sticking to their own stands?, the leaders said after the meeting. The parties were near agreement for promulgating a preliminary constitution within May 27 while holding some contentious issues to be decided later by the parliament. Leaders of NC and UML said that possibility of resolving constitutional issues through voting is over. After the meeting, Maoist vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha said that NC and UML rejected the idea of resolving the issues of federal units through voting. "The Maoist party and UDMF cannot accept the constitution without single identity based provinces. NC and UML should take responsibility for the situation that may emerge after the dissolution of the CA, Shrestha said. Vice-chairman of the CPN-UML Bam Dev Gautam said that the Maoists and UDMF rejected the 8-province proposal that his party proposed in the meeting. "We cannot understand why two ruling parties are standing for single identity as it might invite conflict dangers in the nation," Gautam said. Gautam said that there is slim chance to promulgate the new constitution within still trying to bring preliminary draft of the new constitution within the slated time. He blamed that Maoist and UDMF are trying to drag the nation into civil war. NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said that NC will never agree single identity based federalism. In cased there is a political crisis, the government should be responsible. Nnnn MAOISTS, MADESHI PARTIES FIRM ON FEDERAL STRUCTRE Kathmandu, 26 May: The ruling CPN-Maoist and United Democratic Madhesi Front Friday said they would do their best until the last minute to promulgate the new federal constitution before the expiry of the Constituent Assembly term, The Rising Nepal reports. The meeting held at Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda’s residence at Lazimpat reiterated that they would not accept a constitution without a clear picture of the federal-setup. Emerging from the meeting, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Ganantantrik acting chairman and Minister for Information and Communications Rajkishor Yadav said that the meeting decided to concentrate efforts to promulgate the new constitution within the deadline of May 27. Information Minister Yadav further said, "They will not accept the constitution without federalism and federalism without identity." According to Yadav, the meeting also decided to go for voting as soon as possible if the disputed issues of the new constitution were not resolved by consensus among the parties. The meeting repeated its stand that Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai would not resign until the new constitution was promulgated. Meanwhile, the Broader Madhesi Alliance, a loose alliance of cross-party Madhesi lawmakers, Friday said that it would not accept the constitution if it was promulgated without a clear federal map. Addressing a mass gathering at New Baneshwore, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum Nepal chairman and coordinator of the Front Upendra Yadav said that if the new constitution was not promulgated from the Constituent Assembly, there would be no alternative to new elections to the CA. The Front held a rally from Bhadrakali before it turned into a mass meeting in front of the CA building in New Baneshwore. Chairman Yadav accused the big three parties and the United Democratic Madhesi Front of hatching conspiracy to transform the Constituent Assembly into a parliament for the purpose of resolving the disputed issues of federalism. Another leader of the Front, Sharat Singh Bhandari, a senior leader of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic, said that if the big three parties and the ruling Madhesi Front did not promulgate the new constitution by May 27, they should declare dates for fresh elections. Other leaders of the Front also reiterated that they would continue to agitate until the Madhesi People got autonomous Madhes State. Nnnn MEDIA GOOGLE “They [Kathmandu-based diplomats] discussed whether to endorse the government’s move or to respect the Supreme Court’s earlier verdict to not extend the CA’s tenure after May 27. Later, they decided to maintain silence.” (Report in The Himalayan Times quoting representative at the meet, 26 May) nnnn