Leaders involved in constitution writing said it was after weeks that key leaders seriously dwelled on major thorny issues, though no disputes were resolved. [break]
“After several weeks, the meeting on Sunday was the first to seriously discuss thorny issues. Earlier, they would attend the meeting, engage themselves in general topics and conclude the meeting without entering into thorny issues,” said an official from the Constituent Assembly (CA) secretariat present at the meeting.
In his usual fashion, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who also heads the subcommittee formed under the Constitutional Committee (CC) of the CA, claimed that the leaders have narrowed down the differences on the system of governance.
“We began serious dialogues on the system of governance and we will try to reach an understanding by tomorrow (Monday). It is possible because we have narrowed down the differences,” said Dahal emerging from the meeting at Singha Durbar.
Officials, however, refuse to believe Dahal as the Maoist chairman had announced in December that the parties had resolved all the disputes except for a few ones. But ever since the subcommittee meetings have become irregular.
Dahal claimed the report submitted by the taskforce may prepare grounds for an agreement between the parties.
The taskforce in its report a few months ago had suggested a mixed model of governance -- popularly-elected president and parliament-elect prime minister. While UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML are ready to discuss the proposed model, Nepali Congress (NC) had rejected it outright.
CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal said they have made a good beginning. “The beginning in itself is a good indication. We have begun serious discussions over the system of governance and we will obviously conclude it sooner or later,” Khanal told media persons.
On the system of governance, he said no model is perfect. “We have to wisely choose one that can be suitable in our context,” he said. “While opting for any system, we have to be careful that it would not invite instability and autocracy.”
NC leader Ram Chandra Paudel also said that the issue of system of governance was discussed comprehensively for the first time at the subcommittee meeting. “We held a comprehensive discussion on the system of governance but we need to settle issues of state restructuring and other tricky issues simultaneously,” said Paudel.
At the meeting, the leaders reiterated the stance of their respective political parties. As Maoist Chairman Dahal presided the meeting, Maoist Chief Whip Dev Gurung put forth arguments in favor of the presidential system.
NC´s Paudel countered the Maoists stating it would be foolish to adopt presidential system in which all power is concentrated in the hands of a single person. He said there is no need to do away with the parliamentary system. “It will be foolish to adopt the presidential system when we know that many countries have plunged into crisis after adopting the system,” a leader present at the meeting quoted Paudel as saying.
Echoing Paudel, NC´s Radheshyam Adhikari added one need not go too far to cite examples of the failures of the presidential system. “In a very recent incident in Maldives, a South Asian country, the president was unseated forcefully,” he said, arguing that political change in presidential system is often forceful.
Khanal said his party [UML] was ready to show flexibility over the proposed models. "Our party firmly believes that a combination of the ceremonial president as head of the state and directly-elected executive prime minister is suitable for our country,” a participant quoted Khanal as saying.
“But we are ready to discuss any other alternative if such a proposal can forge a common ground for all the parties.”
Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal emphasized the need for expediting the task of integrating former Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army. “Once we conclude the peace process, constitution writing will also gain momentum,” he said.
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