Nepal: Top minister resigns, parties to meet tomorrow

A top Nepalese minister resigned blaming the Maoists led government`s failure to resolve the political crisis plaguing the country.

Kathmandu: A top Nepalese minister resigned Tuesday blaming the Maoists led government`s failure to resolve the political crisis plaguing the country, even as four major political parties are set to meet tomorrow to iron out their differences over drafting a new Constitution.

Land Reform Minister Chandra Dev Joshi today submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai at the latter`s office, saying the government has failed to take initiatives to resolve the existing political crisis. Bhattarai, however, urged Joshi, who is also the President of CPN-United, to withdraw his resignation. "On Wednesday the parties will try to resolve differences on the contentious issues of the Constitution by holding thorough discussion in the matter," said Nepali Congress Vice President Ramchandra Poudyal after a meeting of the four major parties. In the meeting today, the parties mainly focused on whether to reinstate the Constituent Assembly by forging consensus on the contentious issues of the Constitution or to conduct fresh election for drafting the Constitution, Nepali Congress sources said. The political parties will first try to resolve the contentious issues of the Constitution including forms of governance and federal structure by forging consensus. If agreement could be reached on the federal structure and other key issues of the constitution then they will opt for reinstatement of the Constituent Assembly for a brief period and promulgate the Constitution, Poudyal said. On Sunday, President Ram Baran Yadav asked all the top political parties to find a way out from the current political stalemate through consensus. Besides Nepali Congress, UCPN-Maoist, CPN-UML and Joint Madhesi Front had called on the president. PTI