A meeting of the CC held at Singh Durbar decided to recommend the CA to give the dispute resolution sub-committee additional time till January 29 so that parties would get “enough time” for consultations to arrive at consensus on all contentious issues in the constitution writing. [break]
The amendment, however, will not affect the May 28 deadline for promulgation of the new constitution, leaders said.
As per the previous amendment to the CA calendar of events on December 5, the parties were supposed forge consensus on all contentious issues, except state restructuring, till January 4 in the sub-committee and vote on the remaining contentious issues, if any, in the CA from January 5 to 10.
As the parties failed to arrive at consensus on a number of issues, including the system of governance, the Nepali Congress (NC) had initially floated the idea of amending the CA calendar of events instead of voting in the CA to pick system of governance and resolve other contentious issues.
The UCPN(Maoist) and the CPN-UML had accepted the NC´s proposal to take “necessary time” to forge consensus on contentious issues during a three-party meeting held just before the CC meeting on Wednesday.
The CC is likely to formally ask the speaker to amend the CA calendar of events on Thursday. A meeting of the CA will endorse the amendment proposal.
Talking to media persons after the CC meeting, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said they agreed to make some adjustments in the CA calendar of events.
“Earlier, we had agreed to settle all contentious issues by January 4 and send the reports of all the thematic committees to CA. There has been an agreement to adjust time till January 29,” he said.
Chairman Dahal said since the State Restructuring Commission is also expected to submit its report on January 29 the new adjustment in the CA calendar of events will not affect the deadline of May 28 to bring the new statute.
NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel said the decision was taken as the parties are yet to forge consensus on issues related to the executive, judiciary and legislature in the new statute. “We will hold intensive dialogues to forge consensus on all these issues by the extended time,” he said.
Paudel said Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai during the CC meeting also reiterated his commitment to take the peace process ahead as per the seven-point agreement reached among the parties earlier. “We have agreed to settle the contentious issues of the constitution and integration in the extended period. We will have to concentrate more on the report of the state restructuring commission after January 29,” he further said.
Former Prime Minister and CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal said they decided to amend the calendar of events as the parties have just started holding extensive consultations and debates on contentious issues. “The Maoists should understand our concerns on issues related to the peace process. Constitution drafting process can move ahead only if the issues of the peace process, including integration of Maoist combatants, are resolved,” he said.
According to Chairman of Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal Chitra Bahadur KC, leaders of various small parties represented in the CA had criticized the big three parties for repeatedly amending the CA calendar of events. “They have been repeatedly amending the CA calendar of events. This could be a ploy to delay the new constitution,” he said.
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