The CA meeting had discussed the report for a few hours on Thursday before deciding to pass it on to the drafting committee.
CA Chairman Subas Nembang announced at the meeting that the drafting committee can include any essential element that it found missing in the report.The proposal to forward the report to the drafting committee was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of the 601-seat CA.
Only the lawmakers from Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N), which has 25 members in the House, opposed the proposal. Still, the party said it would not create any hindrance in the constitution making process.
Five other small political parties had walked out of the meeting earlier on the day. The parties that shunned the meeting--Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Nepal (MPRF-N), Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), Sadbhavana Party (SP), Federal Socialist Party-Nepal (FSP-N) and Tarai-Madhesh Sadbhavana Party (TMSP)--have 35 seats in the CA among themselves.
Some other political parties including Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N), Rastriya Janamorcha and Nepal Workers Peasants Party (NWPP) have criticized the four major political parties' deal and registered their differing views on various provisions, but they have so far desisted from boycotting any meetings or procedures.
They have announced not to obstruct constitution making process despite their differing view on certain issues.
The parties that opposed the report criticized the major political forces for undermining past agreements, breaching the provisions of the Interim Constitution and CA regulations, and keeping the CA itself in dark while taking crucial decisions about the key features of the new constitution.
"This sovereign CA has been turned into a rubber stamp and a majority of the elected representatives here have no more role than to endorse the decisions that are taken by a group of leaders inside a dark-room," said RPP-N Chairman Kamal Thapa.
Responding to lawmakers' queries, CPDCC Chairman Baburam Bhattarai said there was no other option than to bring out a new constitution through a compromise among the political parties.
"We all had differing views but we settled for a compromise deal. We still can include some of the essential provisions and address valid concerns of the lawmakers during the drafting process as well," said Bhattarai at the CA meeting.
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