Seven political parties in Nepal, fighting to restore full democracy in the kingdom, have drawn up a common minimum agenda, which includes revival of Parliament and resolving the Maoist problem through dialogue.
"We have agreed on a common agenda to move ahead with our struggle for restoration of democracy. The draft agenda, which also includes revival of the House, will be published soon," Pradip Nepal, spokesman of the Communist Party Nepal United Marxist-Leninist said.
The House of Representatives has not met since May 2002, when former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba recommended its dissolution following serious differences with the Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala.
Interestingly, the Nepali Congress-Democratic, the breakaway party headed by Deuba, on Thursday endorsed the idea of backing the demand for revival of the House of Representatives, the concept Koirala has been advocating since the beginning.
"It is impossible to activate the 1990 constitution in the absence of Parliament," the party said in its statement.
The political parties will decide about holding fresh agitations after NC president Koirala returns from his visit to five development regions, party sources said.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca is visiting Nepal next week, as increasing international attention is being drawn to Nepal following the February 1 developments.
