The opposition party´s taskforce entrusted with preparing a white paper on four-year term of the Constituent Assembly (CA) suggested to the leadership of the major parties to reach an agreement to this effect at the earliest.[break]
"A preliminary draft should be prepared even if it should be based on the agreements reached among the leaders of the major political parties on May 15. The leaders should also determine a system to settle the disputed issues and then a newly-elected Constituent Assembly should prepare the final draft of the new constitution," read a statement issued by the taskforce.
Party Secretary Shankar Pokharel, who heads the taskforce, handed over the 58-page white paper to party Chairman Jhalanath Khanal at the party headquarters in Balkhu on Thursday. But the party didn´t make the report public saying the document would be made public only after holding discussions at the party´s central committee meeting.
On May 15, the parties had agreed to delineate 11 provinces and to adopt a mixed system of governance with executive power shared between a popularly-elected president and parliament-elect prime minister. They decided to adopt mixed electoral system allocating 55 percent seats for the first-past-the-post system and 45 percent seats for proportional representation.
While agreeing to maintain independence of the judiciary, the parties had decided to form a constitutional court with limited jurisdiction for five years. They had decided to have a bicameral legislature with 311-member House of Representatives and 65-member Upper House. On nomenclature of provinces, the parties had agreed to mandate either an extended parliament (after dissolution of the CA) or the provincial assemblies to name the provinces.
The UML team argued that going for fresh polls without safeguarding the achievements attained so far would put at risk what has already been achieved.
The taskforce claimed that it would be wise to entrust an elected body with finalizing the draft.
At the same time, it has also suggested that major parties may choose to keep the option of reinstating the dissolved CA for a brief period open so that the constitution may be promulgated. The taskforce said the proposal to revive the 601-member body can be accepted only if the major political forces reach an agreement on major contentious issues in constitution writing.
The opposition party´s taskforce held UCPN (Maoist) responsible for the failure to draft the new constitution and the demise of CA.
Stating that a strong ground had been created by May 15 for promulgating the new constitution, the UML taskforce went on blaming the UCPN (Maoist) for not only spoiling the May 15 deal but also leading to the demise of CA.
UML Politburo member Pradeep Gyawali said UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other leaders obstructed consensus by inciting agitating ethnic and indigenous communities. While admitting that the UML also committed mistakes, the taskforce claimed that the Maoist-Madhesi coalition was mainly responsible for obstructing consensus.
Related story
FinMin Khanal assumes office, forms taskforce on budget impleme...
-1200x560-1774341373.webp)
