After the resumption of the long-stalled negotiations with the ruling NC-UML, the main opposition UCPN (Maoist) has decided to attend meetings of all parliamentary committees.
The UCPN (Maoist) lawmakers had been boycotting all parliamentary committee meetings since 22 January, protesting a vote to decide the contents of the new constitution.
After the political parties' self-imposed deadline to write the new constitution expired on 22 January, the Constituent Assembly (CA) Chair Subhas Nembang, as requested by the NC-UML, had initiated a process to hold a vote to determine the constitution's content. Nembang had also formed a CA panel to collect all disputed points for the voting.
Irked by the voting process, the UCPN (Maoist) had not only refused to sit for talks with the NC-UML but also boycotted all parliamentary committee meetings. Parliamentary committees had failed to decide on various important issues due to absence of the UCPN (Maoist) lawmakers.
On Sunday, the UCPN (Maoist)-led alliance of 30 political parties decided to attend all parliamentary committee meetings henceforth.
The opposition alliance decided to participate in parliamentary activities a day after rejoining talks with the NC-UML. After more than a month of frosty relations, the NC-UML and the UCPN (Maoist)-Madhesi leaders had held a formal meeting on Saturday.
The meeting held at Prime Minister Sushil Koirala's residence delegated power to the top leaders to forge a consensus on the new constitution. The NC President Sushil Koirala, the UML Chair KP Oli, the UCPN (Maoist) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the Madhesi Front coordinator Bijaya Gachhadar will now be holding meetings to hammer out differences among them.
Differences over form of governance, model of judiciary, electoral system and number and names of federal units persist.