Political parties in Nepal on Sunday failed to break the deadlock over power sharing that is crucial for the formation of a new Maoist-led government in the Himalayan state.
Nepal's Seven Party Alliance (SPA), which was instrumental in ending the 240-year-old monarchy in the country, was unable to end differences over security matters, including the integration of the Maoists People's Libertarian Army (PLA) and the composition of a future National Security Council.
The SPA meeting scheduled to be held on Sunday morning was postponed as some of the leaders could not arrive on time, sources said.
Nepali Congress party's suggestion for including the Opposition leader in the future National Security Council, responsible for mobilising the army, has been opposed by the CPN-Maoist, which is poised to form the government after emerging as the largest party in the April Constituent Assembly polls. The disagreement on this key issue has delayed progress on the integration of the PLA.
"It is important to include Opposition leader in the Security Council as this is a transitional phase and we are talking about integrating Maoist combatants in the national army," Nepali Congress party's general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi said.
Hinting at the isolation of the Maoists, he claimed that most of the members of the ruling alliance shared the views expressed by Nepali Congress on security issues.
{{/usCountry}}Hinting at the isolation of the Maoists, he claimed that most of the members of the ruling alliance shared the views expressed by Nepali Congress on security issues.
{{/usCountry}}Mainstream parties in the country, including the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, have urged the CPN-Maoist to follow international norms while integrating their militia into the army instead of merging them en masse, he noted.