KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sushila Karki is set to hold talks with leaders of 10 political parties, along with two observers, for the first time since the formation of the interim government on September 12.
The discussions will include parties represented in the dissolved House of Representatives. According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the observers for the meeting, which will focus on the upcoming elections scheduled for March 5, will be Kedar Bhakta Mathema and Vidhyadhar Mallik.
From the UML, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel and Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali will participate. Nepali Congress, meanwhile, has stated it will urge the government to ensure security guarantees for free, fair, and fear-free elections.
Senior Congress leader Shyam Ghimire highlighted concerns that ongoing law and order challenges, citing looting, arson, and vandalism during the Gen-Z movement on September 8 and 9, pose serious obstacles to holding credible elections, and the government currently lacks the capacity to bring those responsible to justice or control fugitives.
In previous meetings convened by President Ram Chandra Paudel, CPN-UML was represented by Ishwar Pokhrel and Shankar Pokhrel, while Nepali Congress sent Acting Vice-Chairman Purna Bahadur Khadka and General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa. For the upcoming Prime Minister-led dialogue, Nepali Congress will be represented by Prakash Sharan Mahat and Gagan Thapa.
From the Maoist Centre, Secretariat members Barshaman Pun and Pampha Bhusal will attend, while the Rastriya Swatantra Party will send Vice-Chairman Dr. Swarnim Wagle and former lawmaker Sobita Gautam.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party will be represented by Rajendra Gurung and Mohan Shrestha, and the Janata Samajwadi Party by Upendra Yadav and Prakash Adhikari.
Other participants include Sarvendranath Shukla (Loktantrik Samajwadi Party), Resham Chaudhary (Nagarik Unmukt Party), Prem Suwal (Nepal Majdur Kisan Party), and Chandan Singh (Janmat Party).
While the President and the Election Commission have already conducted discussions with political parties regarding the upcoming elections, this marks the first direct dialogue initiated by the government through Prime Minister Karki.
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