Kathmandu: Nepali Congress, the largest party in Assembly, today initiated talks with 30 other parties to form a consensus government under its leadership to end the prolonged political crisis.
Party president Sushil Koirala said that his party is ready to form a consensus government under its leadership with the support from other parties to draft the constitution within a year.
The party which secured 196 seats in the 601-member Constituent Assembly yesterday asked other political parties to lend support to form a coalition government.
Nepali Congress needs support from either CPN-UML or Unified CPN-Maoist and other fringe parties to reach the magical number of 301 seats in the Constituent Assembly to form the government.
Jhalanath Khanal-led CPN (UML) won 175 seats, followed by Prachanda`s UCPN-Maoist with 80 seats in the vote held on November 19 last year to elect the new Constituent Assembly.
Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav had also asked parties to form a consensus government by February 2.
The Nepali Congress initiated talks with other political parties after party president Koirala was elected the parliamentary party leader.
Koirala said negotiation with the UML and other parties were underway.
"Talks with UML leaders remain very positive toward forming a consensus government led by Nepali Congress," Koirala told reporters.
Party Member Arjun Narsingh Kesi had yesterday said the Nepali Congress held discussions with CPN-UML party leadership over issues of power sharing.
Kesi said the NC would write formal letters to all the political parties to participate in the new government.
UML Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam said his party welcomed NC`s efforts toward forming a coalition government.
The talks with political parties were moving towards positive direction, the Nepali Congress sources said.
Nepal has been facing a constitutional crisis since the 10-year civil war ended in 2006. It deepened in 2012 when the first Constituent Assembly elected in 2008 was dissolved without promulgating the constitution.
The composition of the 601-member assembly was delayed after the Maoists alleged fraud in polls and threatened to boycott the parliament. After weeks of negotiations, they last month agreed to participate in the parliament.
