Constitution unlikely by Jan 22
KATHMANDU:
The Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee today failed to forge consensus on the disputed issues of the new constitution. The panel was mandated to forge consensus by today. With this, the possibility of delivering the constitution by January 22 has almost ended.
Panel’s Chairman Baburam Bhattarai said today’s meeting of the panel decided to submit its report to the CA’s full house tomorrow, mentioning that the committee could not forge consensus on the contentious issues although the parties are closer to consensus than earlier. “This time the parties reached closer to consensus on the contentious issues than during the previous meetings. But we could not reach consensus in a package,” Bhattarai said.
According to him, the parties have almost agreed on judiciary and election system, with the lower house to be elected through mixed election system. “On forms of governance, the parties were close to consensus and on federalism the parties have agreed that the five bases of identity and four bases of capability were the common bases of both seven- and 10-state models,” he said.
“Although we discussed whether to include the issues that are about to be agreed upon in the report, we decided not to include partial consensus and seek consensus only in a package,” Bhattarai said.
“Since the Constituent Assembly is a sovereign body it would take a wise decision,” Bhattarai said.
Meanwhile, top leaders of the major parties, including Prime Minister and NC President Sushil Koirala, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, today agreed to mention in the new constitution that citizenship certificate can be issued in the name of either father or mother.
Although, the top leaders were agreed on that during morning meeting, it could not be included in the CPDCC report, as some CA members of the panel objected to the idea, said CPDCC Chairman Bhattarai.
What next?
• Ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML plan to continue their bid to forge consensus till CA’s due process to settle the disputed issues begins, said NC leader Purna Bahadur Khadka, adding, “The new statute by January 22 will be possible only if there is a miracle.”
• Nineteen-party alliance-led by UCPN-M, however, is planning to boycott Tuesday’s CA meeting slated for 11am to make the alliance’s bandh successful. “The CA members of 19 parties represented in the CA will not attend the CA but will take to the streets to make bandh successful,” said UCPN-M leader Agni Sapkota. The alliance’s future strategy will depend on how the ruling parties deal with the issues, said Sapkota
• Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal leader Upendra Yadav said the ruling parties would not dare to begin the voting process, ignoring the opposition. “If they go for the process without us, we will counter peacefully,” he said
• CA Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang said he would determine the CA’s next course only after receiving the CPDCC report. “As some parties have organised bandh on Tuesday, whether CA meeting will take place on January 13 will depend on how the situation unfolds,” Nembang said.
Source: THT
