The leaders of the subcommittee formed under the Constitutional Committee (CC) to settle disputes in constitution writing endorsed the proposal to this effect at the subcommittee´s meeting on Friday.[break]
The proposal will be tabled at a meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) CC on Sunday for deliberations and endorsement. The 61-member CC is entrusted with resolving remaining disputes and preparing the integrated draft of the new constitution.
Once the CC endorses the calendar of events, it needs to be discussed at the Business Advisory Committee, which has representation from all the 32 political parties, and should be endorsed by the 601-seat CA.
As per the proposal, the leaders have agreed to settle all the remaining disputes in constitution writing -- except for the issues related to state restructuring -- by December 30 at the dispute resolution subcommittee, which is headed by UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and represented by top leaders from the major political parties.
The CC will then hold deliberations on the subcommittee´s proposal and endorse it within five days. If the CC fails to settle any contentious issue, it will be forwarded to the full CA for decision through voting. The CA will be given five days for the purpose.
“Then, the CC will prepare the first integrated draft -- excluding the issues related to the state restructuring -- from January 10 to January 29, 2012,” read the proposal. The government-formed state restructuring commission is also expected to submit its report by January 29, 2012.
The CA will settle the state restructuring issue within 15 days by incorporating suggestions from the commission.
The CA will receive the commission´s report on January 29. The CC will be given a timeline of 15 days starting February 13, 2012 to finalize the first integrated draft by incorporating the issues of state restructuring.
- Subcommittee to settle the disputes -- except state restructuring -- by Dec 30
- CC to hold deliberations on the subcommittee´s proposal and endorse it by Jan 4
- CA to decide unresolved issues through voting until Jan 9
- CC to prepare the first integrated draft by Jan 29, 2012
- CA to settle state restructuring issues in 15 days starting Jan 29
- The CC will be given a timeline of 15 days starting February 13, 2012 to finalize the draft
- CA full House to discuss the first integrated draft, endorse it and publish in the gazettes until March 5
- Publicity and public feedback collection from March 6 to March 28
- One week until April 19: amendment to the first draft as per the public feedback
- One month from April 13: distribution of the bill among the CA members, amendment registration, article-wise deliberations and endorsement by two-thirds of CA
- Last seven days: CA members to sign the new constitution, the CA chairman to authenticate it and submit it to the president for promulgation by May 27
As per the proposal, the first integrated draft will be discussed at the full CA, get endorsed and published in the gazettes by March 5.
The subcommittee has proposed the duration from March 6 to March 28 for publicity and receiving feedback from the people.
The CA´s committee entrusted with collecting people´s feedback will prepare a report on public opinion and table it at the CA for deliberations and the full House will issue directives to the CC to make amendments to the first draft by incorporating the feedback in the duration between March 29 to April 12.
The CC is given a duration of one week until April 19 for making amendment to the first draft.
Duration of one month starting April 13 has been proposed for distribution of the bill of the new constitution among the CA members, for registering amendment to the bill, holding article-wise deliberation and endorsing each and every article of the proposed statute by the two-thirds of CA.
Finally, in the last seven days, the CA members will be allowed to sign the constitution. The CA chairman will authenticate it and submit it to the president for promulgation by May 27.
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