4-29-08, 9:18 am

Kathmandu, Apr 28 (Prensa Latina) Aware of the significance of the recent election, the four main Nepalese parties have stepped up efforts to define the new Constitution and the future government of this budding federal democratic republic.

The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), CPN-M which won a majority of 220 seats for the Constituent Assembly, the Nepali Congress party (NC), 107 seats, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) with 100 seats and the regional Madhesi People Rights Forum with 48 seats have been meeting for three days.

The remaining seats were won by minority parties and independent politicians. The prime minister is expected to appoint 26 posts to complete the 601-seat Constituent Assembly.

At the end of the weekend meeting, the CPN-UML called on all forces for consensus and cooperation to draft the new Constitution and to form a coalition government, said CPN-UML acting leader Amrit Kumar Bohara.

As a first demonstration of this necessary collaboration, the four main parties agreed on Monday to remove from the future Constitution a provision requiring a two-third majority to form or invalidate a government.

The Maoists, who first opposed this amendment, later agreed on condition that a presidential system is established, with the president belonging to the party winning the majority of the votes. It is yet to be seen if this proposal wins widespread acceptance.

CPN-M leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal has insisted on the possibility of being president and not prime minister.

At the end of a meeting of their executive committee, several NC leaders claimed that, being the oldest party of Nepal, they should be in charge of forming the government, even when they failed to win a majority of seats.

However, top NC leader and current acting Prime Minister Koirala said the main priority is to establish a republic as soon as the Constituent Assembly puts an end to a 240-year old feudal monarchy, and then form the government.

MJF leader Upendra Yadav met separately with the Maoists, the CPN-UML and the NC to reach an understanding in forming government and drafting the Constitution to guarantee the rights of the Mahdesi community.

Madhesh, also known as Terai or Tarai, is a 25-mile strip of flat territory bordering India, the population of which (of Indian origin) is 41 percent of the country's inhabitants.

ANFREL (the Asian Network for Free Elections) described the post-election atmosphere as peaceful, with result of these historic polls accepted by parties and people alike.

Prensa Latina