Big three meet on new constitution inconclusive

 A meeting of top leaders of the largest three parties in the Constituent Assembly (CA) - Unified CPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and UML – Sunday morning on settling down disputes on provisions to be incorporated in the new constitution ended inconclusively.

Unified CPN (Maoist) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel and UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal discussed issues related to the national flag, state restructuring, forms of constitutional bodies, and election system, among others at the meeting called by CA chairman Subas Chandra Nemwang at his office in Singha Durbar this morning.

Although, NC leader Paudel claimed the three leaders had agreed not to change the shape and form of the new flag, but interpret it differently in the new constitution, CA chair Nemwang said the meeting did not reach any agreement today.

 The leaders discussed on important issues including national flag, state restructuring and constitutional bodies, but did not reach any agreement, CA chair Nemwang told Nepalnews. The issues will be presented at the meeting of the 28 parties on Monday, said Nemwang.

At today's meeting, the leaders also contemplated giving national party status to all parties participating in general elections scrapping the present provision recongnise only parties securing three percent votes as national parties.