NC to hold joint meet of CWC, PP

KATHMANDU, June 29: Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to hold joint meeting of the party´s Central Working Committee (CWC) and Parliamentary Party (PP) members to forge uniform position within the party on electoral system, form of governance and federal states.



A meeting of the party´s Constitution Drafting Suggestions Committee held at Singha Durbar on Wednesday made a decision to hold separate interactions on these thorny issues as the party leaders had different opinions on them. [break]



“We will soon hold interactions in the presence of concerned experts,” said NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel, who heads the party´s Constitution Drafting Suggestions Committee. Paudel said the opinions of the party leaders and suggestions received from concerned experts will help the party to forge common position.

NC CWC member Gagan Thapa said they still have sharp differences within the party on electoral system, forms of governance and federal states.



“The interaction is aimed at forging the party´s position and assessing the pros and cons of each of these issues. This will help the party to take informed decisions on these issues,” said Thapa, who is also a member of the Constitution Drafting Suggestions Committee.



Thapa argued that NC will have no problem with the ´rights to self determination´ provision for the federal states if they opt to keep an explanatory note on ´rights to self-determination´ in the constitution itself. The note should clarify how that rights is to be used and also specify what the federal states can do and what they can not.



NC leaders have differing opinions also on number of constituencies in the lower house and on issue related to directly elected president. Some leaders have been advocating directly elected president -- against the party´s official position to elect from the parliament.



The most contentious issue within the NC, however, is about federal states. NC has proposed that there can not be more than seven states in the upcoming federal state structures of the country. “Our own party leaders have already expressed reservations over our proposal especially regarding the demarcation of states boundary and names that have been proposed,” said Thapa.



The NC after holding an intense consultations with experts in Nagarkot in April end had proposed one state in the far-western region, two in Madhes, one in Kathmandu Valley, one in eastern hill districts and two states in the central region of the country.

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