July 31, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 27, 1429

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s major political parties decided on Wednesday to allow the caretaker prime minister to take part in a regional conference in Sri Lanka.

Girija Prasad Koirala, who resigned earlier this month but is continuing as head of a caretaker government, has been cleared to fly to Colombo for the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation summit.

The decision confirms that the summit will be held on schedule starting on Saturday.

Koirala met leaders of the main political parties and convinced them to let him lead the Nepalese delegation.

Bhim Rawal of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) said since there was not enough time for a new prime minister to take office it was decided to allow Koirala to lead the Nepalese delegation.

The Saarc summit can be held only if all member countries participate. The member nations are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Earlier on Wednesday, some of the main parties had demanded Koirala drop his plans for the trip because he had already resigned and was only head of a caretaker government.

“It is not right for a prime minister who has already resigned to represent the nation in an important conference like that,” C.P. Gajurel of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) had said.

The Maoists, the party of the former communist rebels, have emerged as the largest political party.

Elections in Nepal were held in April but formation of a new government has been delayed because the political parties have not been able to agree on a coalition.

None of the political parties managed to get a majority. The Maoists secured 226 seats in the 601-seat Constituent Assembly.—AP