Oli says constitution possible by May 28

KATHMANDU, April 21: A day after the parliamentary party meeting of the ruling CPN-UML concluded that there is no possibility of promulgating the new constitution by May 28 and decided to ask the party to go for the extension of CA term, standing committee member KP Sharma Oli said his party was not for extension of the CA term.



“There is still a possibility of promulgating the constitution by the deadline. The proposal to extend the CA term at this time is untimely and irrelevant,” Oli told Republica after his interaction with senior leaders from ruling parties on Tuesday night.[break]



Top leaders of major ruling political parties gathered for a dinner party at the residence in Balkot, Bhaktapur on the eve of the meeting of High Level Political Mechanism (HLPM). The gathering lasted till 10:45 pm.



Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Acting President of Nepali Congress (NC) Sushil Koirala, NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Poudel, Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Gachchhadar and Home Minister Bhim Bahadur Rawal were present in the gathering.



The prime minister left Oli´s residence after attending the gathering for nearly two hours while other leaders stayed on.



UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal on Tuesday afternoon said he will table his party´s proposal in the HLPM meeting on extending the CA term.



However, Oli said there is difficulty in producing the new constitution by the deadline owing to Maoists´ obstructions but it is not impossible. “We can accomplish the tasks if we succeed in convincing the Maoists," he said, adding, "We will initiate talks with the Maoists and other parties soon." He also informed that a meeting of the top leaders of three major political parties would be convened soon to find ways to write the new constitution and conclude the peace process on time.



He also claimed that the UML parliamentary party had not taken any decision to propose CA extension. "How can it be possible for parliamentary party to take such a decision while the party [central committee] is firm on its stance to produce constitution by the deadline?" he asked.



Emerging from the parliamentary party meeting, Khanal on Monday had categorically ruled out the possibility of promulgating the new constitution by May 28 at any cost. "I don´t believe that chairman said so," said Oli.

Related story

Parties, leaders call for ousting PM, impeaching Prez