KATHMANDU: A meeting of the top leaders of the ruling coalition has resumed at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar.
The meeting is discussing various contemporary issues, including the local level and other elections, according to a Baluwatar source.
Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and CPN-Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal had on Friday decided to convene the meeting to discuss contemporary issues.
The three leaders had also decided to finalize the agenda in consultation with other members of the ruling coalition.
Earlier, the coalition leaders’ meeting held in Baluwatar Saturday morning had failed to reach consensus on the local level election date.
Prime Minister Deuba had proposed to hold the local level election in April. However, the coalition leaders had dispersed saying they need to discuss on the agenda in their respective parties.
Prime Minister Deuba had also briefed Prachanda and Nepal about his meeting with President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Thursday.
President Bhandari had advised Prime Minister Deuba to hold elections on time. PM Deuba, on his part, told the President that he would consult the matter with the leaders of the coalition.
The ruling coalition has been in favor of amending the local level election act 2017 to make it in accordance with the constitution. The act stipulates that local elections must be held two months before the end of the term of local level representatives.
However, the ruling coalition partners have been saying that the constitution mandates that the election could be held within six months of the expiration of local representatives’ terms and are seeking amendment.
The majority of leaders of NC and the UML are for holding the local elections in April.
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