Maoists closer to forming govt; agree to amend Constitution

Kathmandu, June 9 (PTI) - Inching closer to heading a new administration in Nepal, Maoists today agreed to amend the Constitution allowing a government to be formed or dissolved through a simple majority in Constituent Assembly, days after giving up their claim on the post of President. The former rebels agreed to amend the Constitution to allow a simple majority to change the government during their crucial power-sharing talks with leaders of Nepali Congress (N.C.) and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (C.P.N.-U.M.L.) at Maoist chief Prachanda's residence at Nayabazaar, N.C. General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi said. During the meeting, the Maoists maintained that they were ready to set aside the post of the President for other parties, he said. "Today we mainly discussed the issues relating to fully implementing the peace accord and amending the Constitution and the remaining issues relating to power-sharing will be discussed in next meeting," he said. Maoist chief Prachanda and second rank leader Baburam Bhattarai, N.C. acting President Shushil Koirla and General Secretary Nidhi and C.P.N.-U.M.L. General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal attended the crucial talks. During the meeting, the major parties agreed to elect a president and executive prime minister through a simple majority in the Constituent Assembly, Nidhi said. The Maoists have already withdrawn their claim from the post of president by projecting Prachanda as their candidate for executive Prime Minister's post. The meeting also formed a six-member task force to work out details of implementing peace accord that would include a time-bound scheme of rehabilitating Maoist combatants, converting their semi-military organisation, Young Communist League, into a political body, returning all properties seized by Maoists and amending current provision of requiring two- third majority to form or dissolve government. Prakash Sharan Mahat of Nepali Congress, Krishna Bahadur Mahara of Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (C.P.N-M.) and Bhim Rawal of C.P.N.-U.M.L. are among the members of the task-force, which will work out details of security sector reform that includes integrating the Maoists into various security agencies and preparing draft of the constitutional amendments. Now it is most likely that the next government would be formed in mid-June, after sorting out all the remaining differences, political observers said. However, the issue of who will be the first president of the republic Nepal remains still undecided. Nepali Congress has projected Prime Minister G P Koirala as its candidate for the post. Other probable candidates for the post are Madhav Kumar Nepal and Sahana Pradhan from C.P.N.-U.M.L. and senior republican leader Ramraja Prasad Singh. The Maoists wanted their handpicked candidate to be the President while Nepali Congress and C.P.N.-U.M.L. favoured a strong and capable person, as the President would have some important powers like declaring emergency and mobilising the army as the Supreme Commander of the Army. PTI