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Nepalese parties get three more days for national unity govt.

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Aug 22, IRNA -- Nepal President, Ram Baran Yadav, gave the deadlocked political parties three more days to form a national unity government so as to avoid a constitutional crisis after they failed to meet a deadline set for Sunday.

'In response to the written request made by all political parties, the president extended the deadline to form a national consensus government till Wednesday evening, after it expired on Sunday evening,' said Rajendra Dahal, pti reported quoting the press advisor to the Nepal President.

Nepal's two largest parties -- UCPN-Maoist and the main opposition Nepali Congress - have held several rounds of consultations with other parties for a national government, but have failed to end the constitutional crisis in the country.

Maoist vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai, Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala, caretaker Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal and Vijaya Gachhadar, the leader of the Joint Democratic Madhesi Front, met the president to seek more time for consultations to form a national unity government.

Hours ahead of the expiry of the August 21 deadline set by President Yadav, political parties agreed to seek more time after a series of bilateral and multilateral talks between the three main political parties -- UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML- and Joint Democratic Madhesi Front failed to bear any fruit.

President Yadav, during a meeting with the caretaker Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal on Sunday, voiced concern over the development, including the delay in the constitution-drafting process.

'The President asked the caretaker Prime Minister regarding the progress in the peace process, constitution-drafting and government formation,' Dahal said.

Senior leaders of the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and UCPN (Maoist) separately met on Sunday to discuss issues relating to the 2006 peace process, constitution drafting and national consensus government.

'During the meetings, the leaders held discussion on ways to forge consensus on the crucial issues of peace process and unity government,' according to CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal.

He said the leaders discussed the modality of integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants.

Integrating the 19,000 former Maoist guerrilla forces into the national army is one of the key sticking points in the stalled peace process, with military leaders and the Nepali Congress resisting the move.

Maoists' Prime Ministerial candidate Bhattarai and Nepali Congress candidate Sher Bahadur Deuba have also held talks with the CPN-UML, the third largest party and Terai-based Joint Democratic Madhesi Front (JDMF), a group of five Madhesi parties.

The Maoist have claimed the right to lead the government first as it was the largest party.

Nepali Congress has underlined the need to form a government under its leadership as both the Maoist party and the CPN-UML have already led a coalition after the Constituent Assembly elections held in 2008.

No party holds a majority of seats in parliament.

The UCPN-Maoist, which has 238 seats in the Constituent Assembly, is largest party in the Assembly, which acts as the country's interim Parliament.

The second largest Nepali Congress has 114 members in the House followed by CPN-UML, which has 108 members.

The United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), which has over 60 lawmakers in Nepal's 601-member Constituent Assembly, can play crucial role in forming the government.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30530361