MAOIST MEET DISCUSSING STRATEGY s Kathmandu, 17 Jan.: A meeting of the UCPN Maoist secretariat is ongoing me Thursday amid a continuing political crisis at home. The Maoist-led government has been charged amid spiraling nation-wide protests for attempting to scuttle probe of Maoists murder of a journalist eight years ago. Maoists argue the probe will derail the peace process by individual investigations of rghts abuses during an insurgency even as government amnesties individual former rebels. Five Maoists have been arrested and four are absconding. The Maoist meet is being held immediately after at a ninth presidential deadline asking parties to assemble a consensus national government to condct constitutional assembly polls in April/ May proved futile with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai rejecting resignation calls from opposition. Of late, the party has backed the premier. President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has now asked 19 parties in the dissolved parliament to continue efforts to form a consensus government without setting a deadline this time.. Maoists meet to discuss strategy as opposition has decided to coeout onstreets to pul down the government. Nnnn UML STANDING COMMITTEE ALSO MEETS Kathmandu, 17 Jan,: UML standing committee Thursday morning is discussing amendments to a party statute at Gokarna where leaders assembled overnight. The statute presented to the standing committee by General Secretary Ishwar Pokhrel will go back to the central committee for adoption, Statute is being aended ahead of a national representative council in the capital next month. Nnnn