KATHMANDU, Jan 13: Heads of all the 23 committees of Constituent Assembly and Legislative-Parliament have been elected in the assembly Tuesday afternoon, with the lone committee, that had remained undecided, electing its chairperson. Yashoda Gurung Subedi of Communist party of Nepal (Maoist) defeated Sarita Giri (Nepal Sadbhawana Party-Anandidevi) by voice vote for the 74-member Legislative Committee of the Legislative-Parliament committee. [break]
See related story: (UPDATED) Consensus eludes parties over CA, parliament committee heads
All chairpersons have taken their oath of office.
Earlier, in the election for Public Opinion Collection and Coordination Committee, Pramod Kumar Gupta of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) defeated Janak Kumari Chalise CPN (Marxist-Leninist) by 40 to 1 votes.
Similarly, ex-general secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) was elected chairperson of the Constitutional Committee by a majority vote in the 63-member committee. Only eight votes went against him. His rival for the post was Bishwendra Paswan of Dalit Janajati Party.
Talking to reporters after his victory, UML leader Nepal said his committee had serious challenges ahead to accomplish the task of drafting the new constitution through all-party consensus. "The constitution-drafting process will be complete within the given date,” he said.
He said there is still a lack of conceptual clarity over the role of the CA, and the parliament, which should be ended immediately to attain the desired goal.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said his party named Nepal to chair the committee considering his long journey in Nepal’s democratic movement, and his experience and direct involvement in the peace process.
With election for Constitutional Committee and Public Opinion Collection and Coordination Committee of the CA over, the heads of all the 14 CA committees have been decided. The candidates of 12 of the CA committees were elected unopposed.
Meanwhile, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) withdrew his candidacy for the powerful parliamentary State Affairs Committee (SAC) chair on Tuesday morning. This paved the way for Ramnath Dhakal of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) to be elected unopposed.
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