The interim constitution has stated that the new CA will be elected for four-year term and will have 491 members. “We have to amend the constitution and clearly mention that the task of constitution writing shall be completed within a year after the new CA election [scheduled for November 19],” said former Prime Minister Nepal at a function organized to observe the 16th memorial day of communist leader late Tulsi Lal Amatya in Kathmandu on Thursday. [break]
He said that the task of constitution writing shouldn´t be further delayed. “It has already been six years since the country entered the transitional stage. The country can´t afford to waste more time in the name of constitution writing,” he said.
The first CA was elected in 2008 for a two-year term but was dissolved in May last year without producing the new constitution even as its tenure was extended for two years.
Nepal argued that the new CA should be given a period of one year for constitution writing. “If the CA can´t produce a new constitution, we shouldn´t further waste time. We should rather go for a referendum to settle the major thorny issues,” he said.
Leaders of the member parties of the High Level Political Committee (HLPC) have recently decided to prepare a draft of the new constitution through the new CA within six months and promulgate new statute within a year after the CA election. “Now we should firmly remain committed to this agreement,” he said.
Also, Jitendra Dev, leader of the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) at the same function stressed on writing the new constitution within a year after election.
“We should give top priority to forging consensus on disputed issues. But if we fail to forge consensus, we should go for voting in the CA. If there is no two-thirds majority of the House on any disputed issue, then we shouldn´t hesitate to go for a referendum,” said Dev.
Meanwhile UML leader KP Sharma Oli stressed the need for holding CA elections on the scheduled date. “The government and HLPC both are very flexible about the concerns of dissident political parties,” Oli said at an interaction organized by Press Chautari in Kathmandu. “Political parties mustn´t hesitate to participate in the polls because if the November election is deferred there may be no election in the coming year as well.”
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