News Desk
The Kathmandu Post
Publication Date : 07-10-2014
A day before the expiry of the extended deadline to forge consensus on disputed issues of constitution writing, both ruling and opposition parties are at odds over whether to initiate voting process to settle the disagreements if the deadline is missed, again.
The ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have been saying that the disputed issues should be put to vote if they are not resolved through consensus. The opposition led by UCPN (Maoist), however, have been insisting that consensus is the only way to settle the contentious issues, arguing that it is the only way to avoid future confrontation among the parties.
The Constituent Assembly (CA) had asked its Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (PDCC) to settle the key disputed issues of the new constitution - federalism, forms of government and judiciary, and electoral systems - by October 7.
According to the CA calendar, the parties have until mid-October to come up with the first draft of a new constitution. But observing the events and the development so far, the possibility of meeting the deadline appears slim, according to CA secretariat officials.
Only on Monday, the PDCC extended the terms of two of its sub-committees by a week - until October 17, indicating a possible extension of deadline to forge consensus.
A three-party meeting called with the view of seeking consensus over the disputed issues, mainly on whether the executive authority should rest with the prime minister or president and numbers of federal units to be adopted in a new federal setup, also ended inconclusively. PDCC has until Tuesday to resolve the issues.
“Either parties should agree to forge consensus on disputed issues or they should initiate voting process to settle the disputes,” said Agni Kharel, UML chief whip. NC and UML together command a majority of the seats in the CA, and they can garner two-thirds majority if they succeed to take like-minded smaller parties into confidence.
The main opposition, UCPN (Maoist), however, has proposed taking both the disputed and agreed issues before the CA for deliberation. It has ruled out the possibility of putting the disputed issues to vote.
“We should take both the issues to the CA and hold discussion there,” said Maoist senior leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha.
A majority of the leaders who spoke at an all-party meeting, convened following inconclusive talks among big three parties, stressed on forging consensus on contentious issues of constitution writing within the CA, instead of putting them to vote as a solution.
According to CPN-ML General Secretary CP Mainali, 30 parties representing in the CA stressed on ways to settle the disputed issues. A meeting to this end has been called for Tuesday morning.
On federalism, both ruling parties - NC and UML - are for federating the country to a maximum of seven provinces based on multiple identities, while the UCPN (Maoist) wants more provinces in the new federal setup.
The Maoist party is advocating for 10-provicne model as per the recommendation of the then State Restructuring Commission. The main opposition has also been pitching for a directly elected president as the head of the executive.
UML has proposed for a directly elected prime minister as executive head and its ruling partner NC has recommended for a parliament-elected prime minister as head of the government.
Despite getting a two-year deadline extension, the previous CA elected in 2008 could not issue a new constitution because of the differences among the major parties on issues of federalism and forms of governance, among others. The current CA which was elected in November 2013 to complete the task is still struggling to settle the same issues.
Although the CA was elected for four years term, the political parties, in their election manifestos, had committed to promulgate the constitution within a year of the CA formation. They have until January 22 to deliver.
NC and UML have issued whips to their lawmakers to compulsorily attend the CA meeting beginning from Wednesday.
NC Chief Whip Chinkaji Shrestha said lawmakers have been directed to participate in the deliberation.