Leaders said they did not discuss the issue due to time constraints, though they had earlier agreed to decide how to move ahead with the constitution-drafting process after the term of the taskforce expired Saturday.[break]
"The Maoist leaders came late as they had gone to the office of the president for House session. We did not discuss it," said CPN-UML chief whip Bhim Acharya.
He said the leaders will first study the report of the taskforce and hold a meeting on Monday afternoon to chart out the further course of constitution-drafting process.
Small political parties have argued that the normal constitution drafting process should not bypassed by handing over the task of sorting out inter-party differences to the taskforce.
Sadbhavana party (Anandidevi) chair Sarita Giri and CPN (United) leader Pari Thapa had stated during the meeting Sunday that the taskforce term should not be extended.
Acharya said the taskforce settled 127 contentious issues and only 83 issues have remained. The taskforce, led by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, did not deal with the major contentious issues including state restructuring and system of governance.
(Photo: Bijay Rai)
Formed on October 11, the taskforce has ironed out inter-party disputes over citizenship, national language and economic policy under the directive principals of state, and made some progress on judiciary.
On citizenship, the taskforce agreed that the constitution should grant citizenship rights to non-resident Nepalis (NRNs) from outside South Asia, but NRNs will not have political rights including the right to vote. Similarly, if a Nepali marriages a foreign female, she will immediately get Nepali citizenship. But if a Nepali woman marries a foreigner, he should stay in Nepal for 15 years to qualify for citizenship.
Likewise, the leaders agreed on a mixed-model economic policy to ensure independent development of the public, private and cooperative sectors.
The taskforce has already agreed to form a Constitutional Council (CC) for making appointments to constitutional bodies.
Perhaps the biggest achievement of the taskforce is agreeing that the state cannot ban any political party for its ideology. The NC and UML had pushed this provision, saying the Maoists might otherwise go for a one-party dictatorship.
The taskforce also agreed that Nepali would be the official language of state for now and the constitution will provide for a "permanent language commission" to set certain criteria for languages to become official languages.
The taskforce is yet to deal with the system of governance and state restructuring, the two most contentious issues.
Similarly, the Maoists want to mention "people´s war", and "people´s federal democratic republic" in the preamble, but others disagree. There is controversy over use of the terms "right to self-determination" and "pluralism". The NC and UML want "pluralism", but the Maoists are against it. Similarly, the NC has demanded that "right to self-determination" be clearly defined.
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