Amid failure of the ruling and opposition parties to resume dialogue even five days after the Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting was put off indefinitely, opposition party leaders and CA Chairman Subas Nembang have started informal talks to end the political stalemate.

The opposition party leaders, who earlier refused to sit for talks with ruling party leaders and CA chairman, have started holding informal talks with them to discuss possible ways to resolve their demands and bring new statute through consensus. On Monday, UCPN (Maoist) chief whip Giriraj Mani Pokharel and Madhesi People’s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) General Secretary Ram Janam Chaudhary held meeting with CA Chairman Nembang at the latter’s office at Singha Durbar.

According to Maoist chief whip Pokharel, they thanked Nembang for putting off the CA meeting and suspending the ongoing majoritarian process to bring new statute. “Chairman Nembang has sought a series of formal negotiations among parties. We will now talk to our party chiefs and convey his message,” Pokharel told media persons after the meeting.

Opposition parties had announced that they would not sit for talks with CA Chairman Nembang and ruling party leaders after ruling parties on January 25 resorted to majority-based constitution-making process despite strong protest from the opposition parties. Although Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala a few days ago, no formal talks have taken place between the ruling and the opposition parties while the CA meeting remains postponed at the request of opposition parties.