The subcommittee headed by UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and represented by key leaders from other political parties had earlier in March recommended to the CC to adopt bicameral parliament in the new constitution.[break]
“The CC meeting today [Friday] endorsed the subcommittee´s proposal to adopt bicameral legislature,” CPN-UML Lawmaker Agni Kharel told Republica.
The 61-member CC, which is mandated to prepare an integrated draft of the new constitution, has entrusted the subcommittee to resolve disputes in statute drafting. The subcommittee has reduced the list of disputes from over 200 to 16 so far.
The CC meeting on Friday, however, failed to name the two Houses. The subcommittee had proposed to name the lower house as the House of Representatives and the upper house as the National Assembly. The two houses of parliament had the same names in the 1990 constitution.
“We were scheduled to endorse the names of the two Houses but Maoist lawmakers objected to name,” a member told Republica preferring anonymity. Maoist lawmaker Jaypuri Gharti at the meeting objected to the proposed names.
“We objected to the proposed names because we are for naming the lower House as the House of People´s Representatives,” Gharti told Republica.
Members from the non-Maoist parties, however, were concerned as Maoist lawmakers objected to the proposal as it had already been endorsed by the subcommittee, which is not only represented by Maoist lawmakers but also headed by Maoist Chairman Dahal himself.
Related story
Some seats for experts
