Koirala will call first CA meeting between May 25-28: SPA

Kathmandu, May 10 (UNI) The Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) meeting today authorised Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to call the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) between May 25 and 28 after holding consultations with other parties outside the alliance.

According to a provision in the interim constitution, the first meeting of the CA must take place within 21 days from the publication of the final list of the CA polls under the direct and PR system of polls.

The meeting was held for the first time after conclusion of the CA polls at the Mr Koirala's official residence in Baluwatar, The Himalayan Times reported.

The SPA has constituted a 10-member taskforce to work out a ''political package'' on forming the post-election government, agenda of the first meeting of the CA, peace process, relation with the parties outside the alliance and nomination of 26 persons to the CA by the existing council of ministers.

Top SPA leaders, including memebers of the CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and other parties attended the SPA meeting.

The leaders thanked the people for courageously participating in the history-making CA polls and also thanked the Election Commission for holding the polls.

Emerging from the meeting, NC leader Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat said the taskforce would have to hold several rounds of talks within the SPA and outside the alliance before the first meeting of the CA.

Mr Mahat suggested that a provision to pick a president should be introduced in the interim constitution once the republican agenda is endorsed by a simple majority of the CA.

But the Maoists were opposed to the provision of president until the new constitution was drafted, saying the provision would create multiple power centres.

They wanted to maintain that the PM would also act as head of the state.

UNI XC RJ KN1807