Maoist chief asks Nepal to head statute panel

CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda today asked CPN-UML former general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal to head the constitution drafting commission.Prachanda made this request during a one-on-one meeting between the two leaders on the latest political development and the possibility of forming a national unity government, a UML source close to Nepal told ... ...daily.Nepal is one of the members of the 1990 constitution drafting commission. Considering Nepal’s role in the peace process and his expertise in constitution making process, Prachanda asked the UML leader to head the commission, which would be constituted after the formation of a new government, the source said.Prachanda is also learnt to have told Nepal that he could not back him for the presidential post due to “problems within his party”.The UML source added that Nepal was positive towards Prachanda’s offer but would accept it only if other parties also backed it.Meanwhile, senior NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba also conferred with Nepal today. During the meeting Deuba is said to have told Nepal to form a majority government without the Maoists if efforts to form a national unity government failed.Nepal is said to have told Deuba that it would be inappropriate to form the government without the Maoists, as it would require a two-third majority to approve the constitution, which is not possible without the Maoist support.Senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai also met Nepal and asked the latter to support a new government led by Prachanda.Earlier today, the four-party task force discussed the basis of national unity government and mutual trust among the parties. Emerging from the meeting, UML leader Bhim Rawal said they also discussed power-sharing in the government.The task force meeting took the statement issued by Prachanda today positively. To develop mutual trust among the parties, Rawal said the Maoist leaders, who have become CA members or hold any government post, should relinquish PLA positions; property seized during the conflict should be returned within 15 days; YCL should dismantle its paramilitary structure; cases against Maoists should be withdrawn; allowances to PLAsoldiers should be provided and relief sho-uld be proved to conflict victims.Nepali Congress leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said they started discussions on creating a foundation for the unity government and measures to create mutual trust among the parties. The taskforce would meet again tomorrow.

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