The government registered the bill after Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, who returned to Kathmandu from Turkey on Thursday, held a cabinet meeting in the afternoon and took a decision to this effect.
The prime minister had also called an-all party meeting before the cebinet meeting. However, leaders from Nepali Congress (NC), Sabhawana Party, Madhesi People´s Rights Forum -Democratic (MPRF-D) and Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) did not participate. [break]
“We discussed reasons behind the failure to draft the new constitution, significance for extending the CA term and the need for guaranteeing that constitution would be drafted in the extended term this time around. Most of the parties in the CA are for extending the CA term,” said Maoist Chairman Puhspa Kamal Dahal after the meeting.
He said that the political environment is conducieve for agreement on modality for integration and “regrouping” of the Maoist combatants. “If we reach an agreement on the modality and norms of integration, people will be assured that the peace process would reach its logical end and the new constitution would be drafted,” he said.
The government´s unilateral decision has, however, raised NC´s hackles and there are differences within the UML over the governemt´s decision.
Taking strong exception to the decision, the NC has stated that the government´s move has spoiled the environment for talks and consensus. “We are surprised by the prime minister´s unilateral proposal to extend the CA term. There is no justification to this proposal,” said NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat.
The UML leaders close to KP Oli and Madhav Kumar Nepal, who lead the rival faction in the UML, are also not happy with the government decision. A leader belonging to the faction said the prime minister´s move was not dicsussed in and endorsed by the party and it has complicated the political environment.
"The issue has not been discussed in the party. The prime minister should first have taken the opposition parties into confidence and assured the people. What the government did is not good," said UML secretary Shankar Pokharel.
The UML leaders from Oli faction said the though the government has attempted to give an impression that it wants to save CA, the decision has weakened the constitution drafting body.
"The Maoists want the CA term to be extended without reaching agreements on thorny issues of peace and constitution. And the cabinet decision is part of that game plan," said a senior UML leader requesting anonymity.
Senior Maoist leaders have also stated that the government´s unilateral decision has ruined the environment for talks. "The situation was in favor of consensus. But the unilateral decision will now have an adverse impact,"
said a Maoist standing committee member.
The prime minister cut short his visit to Turkey and returned home after leaders started seeking an alternative to the Khanal-led government. For the last two days, the leaders have been holding bilateral and trilateral meetings.
According to the parliament secretariat, it takes two weeks for any bill to get endorsed in parliament.
The government stated that the prime minister consulted lawyers and party whips about the procedures to get the bill endorsed in parliament.
“We were told that it would take 15 to 17 days to get the bill endorsed if due procedures are followed,” said Ghanashyam Bhusal, minister without portfolio. He argued that the government would begin consultations with the other parties, including the NC, over the issue in a couple of days.
Oli holds separate meeting with Madhesi Front leaders
As the prime minister was busy meeting the ruling parties, senior UML leader KP Sharma Oli held a separate meeting with Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, Tarai Madhesh Democratic Party (TMDP) Chairman Mahanta Thakur and Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato at his residence in Balkot on Thursday afternoon. The meeting lasted for over an hour.
Oli along with another senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal had held a meeting with NC leaders on Wednesday to find an alternative to Khanal-led government and also to develop common position between the two parties with regard to peace process and constitution drafting.
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