There are fresh indications that the present political deadlock may end soon. The major parties say they have agreed on 11 states and are now negotiating on boundaries and names of federal states. The latest development is significant as it follows a series of meetings held by Indian Ambassador Jayant Prasad with leaders of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. Sources reveal that Prasad expressed his government’s concern about the deteriorating condition in the country and urged parties to implement the five-point agreement in letter and spirit. Prasad met UML leaders at the party's parliamentary office in Singhadurbar on Saturday morning and requested them to join the national unity government as per the five-point agreement. India's increased interest in Nepal's political process is seen by many as an 'unnecessary interference', while the embassy maintains it is a 'friendly concern'.
The parties are making a final effort to avoid going into voting by forging a consensus on unresolved issues. Yesterday’s talks ended positively with parties agreeing to form 11 states, but there are still disagreements on the boundaries and names. Emerging from the meeting at UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s residence in Lajimpat on Saturday morning, NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel said, “The numbers have almost been finalised and in order to avoid further controversy, we have proposed that the names should be decided by the respective states.”
The major parties had earlier agreed to vote on unresolved issues but given multiple stance on several issues, it was unlikely that the voting would have yielded any conclusion. So the constitutional committee once again asked the dispute resolution sub-committee to resolve the issues through consensus. Even the parties are reluctant to go for voting as none have been able to come up with an official position given the disagreement between party leadership and lawmakers from Madhesi and janajati backgrounds who have threatened to violate party’s whip if unilateral decisions are made.
Approaching deadline and cornered on all sides, leaders of the major parties are at a point of no return and the only way ahead is to forge an agreement and come up with a statute on May 27. The bilateral and multilateral meetings in progress at the moment in Singhadurbar is trying to do just that.
Anurag Acharya