President Ramchandra Paudel on Tuesday organised a dialogue between Prime Minister Sushila Karki and top leaders of the major political parties.

Earlier, Prime Minister Karki had stated that she was not interested in meeting with major party leaders—President of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chairman of the CPN-UML KP Oli and Coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal—due to pressure from some Gen Z leaders.

This was the first meeting between Prime Minister Karki and top leaders of the major political parties after she assumed office on September 12.

Karki’s meeting with the top leaders comes after she held rounds of formal and informal talks with second-tier leaders of the political parties.

In order to make the March election successful, an understanding has been reached between the government and the major political parties, said President Paudel’s press advisor Kiran Pokharel.

According to him, an understanding was also reached to hold detailed discussions at Baluwatar to create a conducive environment for the election.

In the meeting, all three leaders complained about the uncertainty about the election due to security reasons, a moratorium imposed against Oli by a commission that has been investigating the September 8 and 9 incidents, inadequate election-related laws and other logistics reasons.

“They said that they were not confident that the election would happen on March 5,” an aide of President Paudel said. “Whatever reservation they may have, they will now discuss them with the prime minister directly.”

In the meeting, Oli reportedly raised questions about peace and security regarding the elections. Oli stated that the issue of security for the leaders of major political parties is serious and very concerning.

According to his secretariat, Oli said that restrictions being imposed on him and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak would not help create a conducive environment for March elections.

Oli maintained that the government must guarantee an environment in which parties can contest elections fearlessly, candidates can campaign, and voters can cast votes without fear.

Meanwhile, Congress President Deuba also raised the issue of peace and security as a top priority. NCP coordinator Dahal likewise reportedly said that the parties are ready to go to elections if the government creates a conducive environment for them.

Prime Minister Karki, on the other hand, said that all parties must cooperate to ensure that elections are held at the scheduled time despite the difficult circumstances, Press Adviser Pokharel said.

In the meantime, a three-member government team—including Law Minister Anil Kumar Sinha, Information Technology and Communication Minister Jagdish Kharel and Chief Advisor to Prime Minister Karki Ajay Bhadra Khanal—visited the headquarters of Nepali Congress and CPN-UML on Tuesday and held talks with top leaders of the respective parties.

They held talks with Congress Vice President Dhanraj Gurung and UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel and discussed the election-related preparations. Sinha, Kharel and Khanal also visited the party headquarters of Congress and UML that were set on fire by an angry mob on September 9.

After meeting with Congress and UML leaders, minister Kharel said that the government is confident that election is going to happen on March 5 and they found both Congress and UML positive towards the polls.

After the President helped to break the ince between the prime minister and top leaders of the major political parties, the next meeting between them will take place in the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar.

“The President did his job,” an aide to the President said. “Now the onus lies on the prime minister to give continuity to the talks with multiple leaders. The president has facilitated several meetings and talks in the past and now it is up to the government to carry forward it.”

Earlier the President had initiated talks between the government, party leaders and Gen-Z leaders.

In the meeting, President Paudel said that the election was announced to provide a way out of the country’s serious and sensitive situation.

“Keeping this seriousness in mind, working to make the election successful is the sole responsibility of all of us,” he said.

President Paudel stated that an election is the most appropriate option to resolve the country’s current complex situation and urged the prime minister and top leaders of the three major political parties to make the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5 a success.