Big 3 leaders to brainstorm at undisclosed venue

REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, Nov 5: While the country will be busy celebrating Tihar for the next four days, top leaders of the three major parties are leaving Kathmandu for an undisclosed location to hold extensive talks on all contentitous issues, the leaders have disclosed.

"We will be out of Kathmandu in a bid to resolve all the outstanding issues," CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal told Republica on Thursday. Khanal, however, declined to give details such as the date and venue of the meeting.

But sources privy to matters said the leaders are likely to leave the capital for an undisclosed location Friday morning. "All the leaders have been asked to arrive at the Home Ministry at 7.30 am on Friday," a source said.

Another source said the meeting is likely to take place at an undisclosed resort in and around Phulchoki, Lalitpur. Sources said leaders plan to stay in the resort for a night and return on Saturday.

Nepal Police sources however said the meeting is taking place at Hattiban Resort on the outskirts of Kathmandu and security arrangements have been made accordingly. DIG Ganga Pandey has been entrusted with the security arrangements, sources said. Home Minister Bhim Rawal is coordinating the meeting, according to sources.

But the leaders seem to have kept their options open for the venue. A Nepal Army source said a helicopter is on standby for Friday for a VVIP flight.

Asked about the participants of the meeting, UML Chairman Khanal said the top leaders of the major parties will lead their respective teams.

Sources said Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Vice Chairmen Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Mohan Baidya, leaders Ram Bahadur Thapa and Krishna Bahadur Mahara are attending the meeting. Similarly, NC leaders Ram Chandra Paudel, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Krishna Sitaula and Arjun Narsingh KC will represent the Nepali Congress Party in the meeting and from the CPN-UML, Khanal, Prime Minister Madhav Nepal and leaders KP Oli, Ishwar Pokharel and Bharat Mohan Adhikari will participate.

Nepali Congress Spokesperson KC said on the meeting, "The venue of the meeting is not yet clear. Everything will be clear Friday morning."

KC said the idea of the leaders meeting at an isolated venue outside Kathmandu was conceived a long time back.