Nembang asks leaders to forge consensus in five days
KATHMANDU:
Constituent Assembly Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang today held separate consultations with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and urged them to forge consensus on the disputed issues of the new statute in the next five days so that the new constitution could be promulgated by January 22.
Nembang has proposed a 44-day fast-track model for meeting the deadline. The political parties should forge consensus on the disputed issues of the new statute by December 12 and many provisions of the CA Rules should be shortened, scrapped and suspended, according to his model.
The leaders reiterated their promise that they would intensify talks and make maximum efforts to forge consensus by December 12, Nembang said.
The leaders also said that they were committed to promulgating the new statute by January 22.
PM Koirala promised to play the lead role in intensifying talks with the parties for consensus, according to Nembang. Oli expressed hope that the parties would reach consensus and be able to meet January 22 deadline. Dahal reiterated his and his party’s firm commitment on meeting the deadline.
“You have repeatedly told me that you can forge consensus on the disputed issues within two days. I have called the next meeting of the CA for Tuesday and I am planning to table the report of Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee on the day. Since the discussions on the report are scheduled to begin on December 12 you will have many hours till then. I urge you not to miss this chance,” Nembang told this to the three leaders during their meetings.
The CA chair also reminded the leaders not to trade charges against each another, as that could spoil the environment for promulgating the new constitution. Nembang claimed he was assured by the three leaders that they would refrain from trading accusations.
CPDCC Chairman Baburam Bhattarai had submitted the panel’s report to Nembang on Friday. Political parties are undecided on how to move ahead and settle the unresolved issues.
Nembang met Koirala at the latter’s residence, while Oli and Dahal met him at his residence.
Dahal, according to his personal secretary Chudamani Khadka, told Nembang that a three-party meeting would discuss the CA’s way forward and take a decision at the earliest.
Nembang also held consultations with the chief whips of three major parties about CA’s way forward.
NC, UML to expedite talks
A meeting of the ruling Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML on Sunday decided to intensify talks with the parties outside the government to forge consensus on the disputed issues with a target of promulgating the new constitution by January 22. “We decided to hold talks with UCPN-M at 3pm and United Madhesi Democratic Front at 5pm on Monday. We’ll hold talks on the disputed issues and try our best to forge consensus on the issues,” said NC Joint General Secretary Purna Bahadur Khadka. The two parties concluded that the new constitution should be delivered by January 22 by adopting CA chair’s fast track model, he said. The meeting was held at prime minister’s official residence and was attended by top leaders, including Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ramchandra Paudel, Mahesh Acharya and Narahari Acharya, besides PM Koirala from NC and KP Oli, Bishnu Poudel, Bidhya Bhandari and Jhalanath Khanal from CPN-UML.
Source: THT
