Nepal's three major parties agrees on CMP

Kathmandu, August 17 : The new alliance of Nepal's three major parties in the Constituent Assembly (CA) Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M), Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) and Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) on Sunday reached on an agreement to publicise the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the government in the making.

The leaders of the CPN-M, CPN-UML and MPRF informed that the CMP will be made public on Monday amid a press conference.

In separate meetings today with its alliance partners-UML and MPRF--the Maoists, who are poised to lead the soon-to-be formed government, forged an agreement on the CMP.

"We have finalised the CMP that will be publicised tomorrow," Kantipur quoted Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai as saying.

He further added that "We are close to a consensus on other issues."

MPRF leader Jaya Prakash Gupta said that their call was to form a consensus government.

"We have not put forward any hindrance to reach an agreement and our discussions are focused on the allocation of the ministerial portfolio," Gupta added.

Meanwhile, UML leader Bhim Rawal informed that the alliance partners discussed the division of ministries among the parties. He added that there are certain issues that are on the verge of finalisation.

According to the sources, the CMP includes programmes for implementation of the commitment in letter and spirit while institutionalising the Federal Democratic Republic, drafting a new constitution as per the aspiration of people's movement, preparing bases for the federal structure and establishing mechanism to manage the political conflict prevailing in the society.

What is more, it is said to be containing a special programme to provide relief to the internally displaced people during the conflict, moving forward towards prioritising the reconstruction of the developmental infrastructure ruined during conflict, and land reform programmes and mobilisation of the foreign aid in primary sector.

The parties have also agreed to run the government as per the government operation procedure and to move ahead by adhering to the culture of co-operation among others.

However, the major three parties failed to diffuse the wrangling over the power-sharing issue on Sunday even after marathon parleys.

Differences have arisen among the newly formed alliance after one of the allies, the MPRF, demanded the post of the deputy prime minister including the foreign, water resources, communication, local development and education ministries.

The leaders informed that the issue of power sharing and the distribution of ministerial portfolios will be resolved by Monday.

ANI