DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MAOISTS, NC PERSIST UPDATE Kathmandu, 12 May: A meeting held between the top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress (NC) this morning [Saturday] also failed to yield fruits over the contentious issues of state Restructuring, RSS reports.. The meeting was held at the residence of Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Lazimpat. Maoist Vice-chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that discussions among the parties were underway regarding the issues of state restructuring and other contentious issues in the new constitution. After the meeting, NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel said that the parties were yet divided over names, delineation and number of the federal provinces. "Discussions are underway. Consensus has not been forged in name, number and delineation of the provinces," Paduel said. During the meeting, Maoist Chairman Dahal, Vice-chairman and Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Vice-chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha were present while NC President Sushil Koirala, Vice-president Ram Chandra Paduel, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and others were present at the meeting. The major political parties are still divided over state restructuring and forms of governance. It is said that major political parties have reached consensus on Friday regarding the number of the federal provinces. Nnnn DETAILS OF NC, UMLTALKS UPDATE Kathmandu, 12 May: Top leaders of the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML held talks regarding the issues of the state restructuring today [Saturday], RSS reports. The leaders held discussions regarding the ways to forge consensus on the state restructuring, said UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal after the meeting. He added that the formal and informal talks will be continued to forge consensus on the state restructuring, the most contentious issue in new constitution. NC President Sushil Koirala, Senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel and UML Chairman Khanal, leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and others were present at the meeting. Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad and UML Chairman Khanal held talks at the UML's Parliamentary Party Office, Singha Durbar. The duo held talks on constitution writing and contemporary political issues, according to Khanal's personal secretary Ram Babu Adhikari. nnnn