Friday, May 12 2006 15:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: The Nepal Government will form a negotiation team within a week to initiate dialogue with the Maoists, ultimately leading to the announcement of elections for a new Constituent Assembly, a Nepalese politician has claimed.

"The Government's negotiation team will be formed by May 18 to hold a dialogue with the Maoists. It will lead to the announcement of a Constituent Assembly election, a major demand of the Maoists," said Nepal Majdoor Kishan Party Chairman Narayanman Bijukchhe.

The seven political parties which comprise the interim government in Nepal have also said that they will send their representatives to the Peace Secretariat in order to engage in the peace process.

"The seven political parties will send their representatives to the Peace Secretariat in order facilitate the peace process," said Nepali Congress General Secretary Ramchandra Poudyal yesterday.

The government will form the talks team only after the expansion of the cabinet, said CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal after the seven parties' meeting.

A meeting of the alliance yesterday had failed to decide about expansion of cabinet and formation of the talks team after Nepali Congress (Democratic) and CPN-UML had differences regarding the nomination of candidate for the election of Speaker of the House of Representatives which remained vacant after Speaker Taranath Ranabhat resigned from the post.

The Maoists have already formed a three member team lead by its spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara.