This is the first time that the CA calendar was amended after extension of the CA term on May 28. [break]
The amended calendar, prepared by the CA´s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) and tabled by CA Chairman Subas Nembang, was approved by the CA´s full meeting.
As per the newly amended calendar, all reports of the thematic committees would be transferred to the Constitution Committee (CC) for preparation of an integrated draft of the constitution by October 16.
Similarly, the CC would begin its work to prepare the integrated draft of the constitution from October 18 and complete its work within a month. Rest of the work would be conducted as per the decision of the BAC.
The calendar plans to complete all works related to constitution-drafting by mid-April 2011.
As per the newly amended calendar, all reports of the thematic committees would be transferred to the Constitution Committee (CC) for preparation of an integrated draft of the constitution by October 16.
After the proposal to amend the calendar was approved, CA Chairman Nembang explained why the CA failed to draft the new constitution within two years.
According to him, the constitution-drafting and integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants are inter-related, but the integration process fell under the jurisdiction of the executive and that posed hurdle to constitution-drafting.
Nembang also argued that the promulgation of the new constitution is the culmination of the peace process, but the peace process itself did not move ahead, as expected, to its logical conclusion.
Among other factors, Nembang argued, are the lack of consensus on the basic principles of the constitution and serious differences among the political parties.
The CA chairman postponed the CA meeting until further notice.
Earlier in the morning, Nembang had called a meeting of 25 political parties to inform them about the amendment.
During the meeting, Madhesi parties had objected to the decision of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML to form State Restructuring Commission (SRC) at this point of time. Consequently, the working schedule of SRC was not inserted in the CA calendar due to the objection.
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