Kathmandu, Nov. 2

The two major coalition partners - CPN-Maoist and CPN-UML - Sunday formed a joint high-level committee to better coordinate the operation of the government and to improve the worsening relations between them.

Maoist leader Mohan Baidhya ‘Kiran’ and UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal lead the 12-member committee with six persons from each party.

The committee comprises Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Dev Gurung, Dinanath Sharma and Barshaman Pun (Ananta) from the CPN-Maoist and K.P. Oli, Bharatmohan Adhikari, Bamdev Gautam, Bhim Rawal and Mrs. Bidhya Bhandari from CPN-UML.

The first meeting of the committee today decided to form two separate committees to probe into the clashes between Young Communist League (YCL) and Youth Force (YF), youth wings of the CPN-Maoist and UML respectively in Dhading and Taplejung, informed Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara after the meeting. The probe committees are deputed to give reports within a week.

The high-level committee would push ahead negotiations between the two parties and suggest ways to the government for smooth functioning, Mahara said.

UML member Bhim Rawal informed that the committee would fix its working procedure after discussions. The committee is scheduled to hold the next meeting on Monday.

A meeting of the top leaders of the two parties held at the party office of the CPN-Maoist formed the committee in the backdrop of aggravating relations between the two parties in recent days.

According to the RSS reports, the committee constituted Sunday to probe the Dhading clash comprises of Post Bahadur Bogati and Agni Sapkota of the CPN-Maoist and Keshav Badal and Pradip Gyawali from the CPN-UML.

Likewise, the committee constituted to probe the Taplejung clash comprises Haribol Gajurel and Ram Karki of the CPN-Maoist and Rajendra Pandey and Ramesh Kharel of the CPN-UML.