(Updated with Nepal´s oath-taking as CA member and Constitutional Committee member, 1159 NST; 0614 GMT, Sunday)
KATHMANDU, Jan 10: Former general secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) Madhav Kumar Nepal took oath of office as Constituent Assembly (CA) member Saturday night after the cabinet nominated him to the post. CA chair Subas Nembang administered oath of office to Nepal. [break]
Gandaki Provincial Assembly senior-most member Basyal takes oat...
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The cabinet took the decision after the Constituent Assembly accepted resignation submitted by Sushil Chandra Amatya of the UML. Amatya, a cabinet nominee from UML´s quota, resigned from his post as per the decision of CPN-UML Central Committee (CC) earlier Saturday. He also took oath of office as member of the Constitutional Committee.
With his election as CA and Constitutional Committee member, decks have been cleared for Nepal to head the Constitutional Committee of the CA, which will act as the focal point of the drafting of the new constitution.
Nepal accepted the position following CPN (Maoist)´s formal commitment to elect him as chairperson of the Constitutional Committee as well assurance from major political parties in the CA to accept the UML leader as the head of the committee.
Earlier, after a day of high drama, the UML CC meeting decided to send Nepal to chair the important committee. Nepal had initially "refused" to head the committee, fearing that his nomination might be challenged by other parties.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had been requesting Nepal to head the important committee.
Meanwhile, another CA member-electet, Babban Singh (Independent) also took oath of office. Singh, who got elected from Rautahat district, is accused of masterminding blasts in Kathmandu last year and faces other criminal charges. He did not take oath of office with other members-elect in May last year fearing arrest.
yuvraj@myrepublica.com
