Kathmandu, May 25:

Major political parties represented in the Constituent Assembly have pledged a decisive meeting on Saturday, a day before the deadline to promulgate constitution expires.

The leaders were busy in internal, bilateral and trilateral talks throughout Friday to work out agreement. As the meetings were still inconclusive, uncertainty looms about the new constitution.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the CA will be dissolved if the new constitution is not promulgated by Sunday. It is still not clear what political course the nation will take after May 27 if the constitution is not promulgated.

The leaders promised a decisive meeting on Saturday as the meetings of the UCPN- Maoist, Nepali Congress , CPN-UML and United Democratic Madheshi Front held in two successive sessions at the Prime Minister’s office at Singha Durbar failed to reach an agreement.

Chairman of the CPN-UML Jhala Nath Khanal said that the parties could not reach an agreement as they remained firm on their own stance regarding the number, name and delineation of federal provinces.

UCPN- Maoist vice chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that if the parties failed to work with unity and collaboration, the nation may head to disaster. Unity has remained the focal point of all the leaders, he added.

The meeting was attended by Maoist chairman Prachanda, UML chief Khanal, NC chief Sushil Koirala and Madheshi forum leader and Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar. Earlier, the top leaders had held talks with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav.

Meanwhile, three major parties were sharply divided over the name and demarcation of federal units.

The four political forces were polarised on adopting single-identity or multi-identity based federalism at the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office at Singh Durbar on Friday.

The Maoist party and the Madheshi front have stood in favour of federal states based on single ethnic identity while NC and CPN-UML are insisting for multi identity as basis for federalisation.

The parties have already started to blame each other for the possible void to be created after May 27.

How can consensus be forged if all parties keep sticking to their own
stands?, the leaders said after the meeting.

The parties were near agreement for promulgating a preliminary constitution within May 27 while holding some contentious issues to be decided later by the parliament.

Leaders of NC and UML said that possibility of resolving constitutional issues through voting is over.

After the meeting, Maoist vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha said that NC and UML rejected the idea of resolving the issues of federal units through voting.

"The Maoist party and UDMF cannot accept the constitution without single identity based provinces. NC and UML should take responsibility for the situation that may emerge after the dissolution of the CA, Shrestha said.

Vice-chairman of the CPN-UML Bam Dev Gautam said that the Maoists and UDMF rejected the 8-province proposal that his party proposed in the meeting.

"We cannot understand why two ruling parties are standing for single identity as it might invite conflict dangers in the nation," Gautam said.

Gautam said that there is slim chance to promulgate the new constitution within

still trying to bring preliminary draft of the new constitution within the slated time.

He blamed that Maoist and UDMF are trying to drag the nation into civil war.

NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said that NC will never agree single identity based federalism. In cased there is a political crisis, the government should be responsible.