Top leaders from Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties at the meeting held at the prime minister's official residence Baluwatar on Sunday decided to settle the key contentious issues of the new constitution within the next three days.The leaders' announcement, however, appears ambitious as the disputes surrounding as to what type of state restructuring, system of governance, electoral and judicial models are to be adopted in the new statute have delayed the drafting of new constitution for the past seven years.
"Today, leaders at Baluwatar agreed in principle to forge consensus on the contents of new constitution within a few days and to promulgate new constitution through a fast-track procedures and then to concentrate all efforts for rebuilding the nation," said former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai of UCPN (Maoist) after the meeting. "This decision in itself is a positive development. Let's hope, everyone concerned will work sincerely as per the understanding."
However, leaders from two major ruling coalition partners -- NC and UML -- still differ over as to what to do if it took longer to settle the disputed issues and produce new constitution.
NC leaders agree in principle on the broader course but refuse to fix the date to promulgate new constitution.
But UML leaders insist that the parties need to fix the time to produce new constitution and change the government leadership so as to complete the tasks based on strict timeline.
"We agree on the roadmap but can't agree on either fixing the date for promulgating new constitution or quitting the government in the event there no constitution," NC leader Ramesh Lekhak told Republica.
UML leaders however are not in a mood to wait for long. They said they will raise the issue of forming national unity government if the contentious issues of new constitution aren't settled in the next couple of days.
UML Chief Whip Agni Kharel said that there is no point in wasting more days for talks if the leaders from major political parties don't come up with new ideas and continue to stick to their old stance.
"The picture will be clear once we hold some rounds of talks in the days to come," said Kharel. "If the negotiations on constitution-making front make no progress then there is no need of holding similar rounds of talks on the same topics that we have been doing for years."
In the changed context mainly after the recent earthquakes, UML has strongly lobbied for forming national unity government under the leadership of its chairman KP Sharma Oli.
The NC and UML had last year signed an agreement that stated that their coalition will produce new constitution by January 22, 2015 and NC President Sushil Koirala will head the government till that date. As per the agreement, Koirala by accomplishing the task had to hand over the government leadership to the UML.
This time the UML leaders want more clear agreement with the NC.
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