KATHMANDU: The top brass of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) and the main opposition CPN-UML are holding a meeting at the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwor Thursday.

The NC-UML meeting is taking place after the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting that had been scheduled to discuss the United States grant Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) at 1 pm today, (Thursday) was postponed until tomorrow, Friday.

The government asked Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota to postpone the meeting after parliamentary parties represented in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of HoR did not agree to include MCC in the business schedule for today’s HoR session.

NC President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli are engaged in discussions to sort out various issues facing HoR and nation, such as UML obstruction of parliament, role of speaker behind the formation of the CPN-Unified Socialist, and NC’s determination to ratify MCC from parliament, among others.

Of late, Prime Minister Deuba is furthering talks with the main opposition after ruling coalition partners, CPN-Maoist Center and the Unified Socialist, hindered the NC-led government effort to ratify MCC by refusing to cooperate and stayed in the opposition within the coalition.

The NC is seeking UML support to ratify MCC in parliament. However, the UML has clarified PM Deuba that the UML would think about cooperating with the government over MCC after UML demands are addressed.

Leaders including, UML Senior Vice Chair Ishwor Pokharel, UML Parliamentary Party Deputy Leader Subash Nembang, NC General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa and Communications Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, are also at the office of UML Chair Oli at Parliament Building — where the meeting is taking place.