The CA Committee had fixed up an appointment with Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, NC president Girija Prasad Koirala and CPN Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal at Koirala’s residence in Maharajgunj at 5 p.m. on Thursday, but the meeting was cancelled as Koirala was not in sound health.”[break]
“We decided to take the issue to the top party leadership as we could not reach consensus on electoral and governance system,” said NC CA member Shambhu Hajara Dusad, who is also the chairman of the committee.
“The issue can be resolved only after the leaders of three top parties sit together. We shall fix up another appointment with them after Koirala recuperates,” he added.
The CA committee has held over 70 meetings, but has failed to reach any decision on the government and electoral systems.
The NC has proposed the Westminstrial model of governance. The party has opted for bicameral legislature and election of executive prime minister from the lower house elected on first-past-the-post basis.
“But the party will have to pick up the candidates in such a way that the House becomes proportional and inclusive,” said NC leader Govinda Raj Joshi. Similarly, the members of upper house would be elected from the provinces. Similarly, the party has proposed that the ceremonial president be elected from the members of the upper house, lower house and local bodies.
On the other hand, the Maoists have proposed direct election of the executive president and unicameral legislature, the members of which would be elected from multi-member constituencies. The directly elected president will form an inclusive cabinet on the basis of seats the political parties have in the parliament.
The Maoists have also proposed a multi-member electoral system in which more than one candidate would be elected from each constituency on proportional basis. “We have proposed direct election of executive president and electoral system based on multi-member constituency, but there was no consensus,” said Maoist CA member Pampha Busal, a member of the committee.
Similarly, the CPM-UML has proposed direct election of executive PM and indirect election of ceremonial president from the upper house, lower house and local bodies. The party has proposed mixed member proportional representative (MMPR) electoral system in which each party would have representation in parliament in proportion to the popular votes they garner.
“There is compulsion that one party has to accept the proposal of another should there be any agreement,” said Yadav Raj Pokharel, advisor on constitutional law to the CA Committee.
Owing to serious differences, the committee also formed an informal subcommittee comprising senior leaders, but failed to reach any conclusion even after month-long discussions.
What is on cards?
Maoists: Direct election of executive president, cabinet formation based on consensus, multi-member constituency, and unicameral legislature
NC: Indirect election of executive prime minister and ceremonial president, bicameral legislature, first-past-of-the- post electoral system (to adopt principle of social inclusion while selecting candidates)
UML: Direct election of executive prime minister, indirect election of ceremonial president, bicameral legislature, mixed member proportional representative (MMPR) electoral system
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