The timeline was prepared by the dispute resolution subcommittee under the CA´s Constitutional Committee (CC) earlier on Saturday and the CC, which is mandated to settle disputes and prepare an integrated draft of the new statute, passed the proposal later on Sunday.[break]
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 -- in the next three weeks (by December 30). According to the calendar, the dispute resolution subcommittee, which is headed by UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and represented by top leaders of the major political parties, will settle the disputes and forward it to the CC.
The CC will hold deliberations on the subcommittee´s proposal and take decisions. Both the subcommittee and the 61-member CC will work simultaneously.
The CC will, then, hold deliberations on the subcommittee´s proposal and endorse it within five days (until January 4). 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 calendar endorsed by the 601-seat CA. The calendar states that the government-formed state restructuring commission will prepare the report and the government will forward the recommendations to the CA chairman on January 29.
The leaders have given duration of two weeks (until February 12) to finalize the report on the state restructuring incorporating the suggestions offered by the commission. The CC will prepare the first integrated draft by incorporating state restructuring issues in the next two weeks.
CC Chairman Nilambar Acharya will table the first integrated draft of the new constitution for deliberations on February 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.
According to the new timeline, the duration of three weeks (from March 6 to March 28) has been allocated for publicity of the first integrated draft and collection of 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 between March 29 to April 12.
The CC has been given a 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.
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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