Kathmandu: Nepalese political parties on Thursday decided to resolve the more than 117 contentious issues in Constitution drafting through voting tomorrow even as the May 27 deadline to prepare the statute draws near. After major political parties failed to reach an agreement over the 117 contentious issues afflicting the constitution-drafting process, on Thursday’s Constitutional Committee –which is actually mandated to prepare the first draft of the constitution– took decision to this effect.
The Constitutional Committee submitted the list of yet-to-be resolved disputed issues to its members this morning. “Now Constituent Assembly will decide the future course of statute. Voting in CA full House will start from tomorrow,” Maoist Chairman and coordinator of the Constitutional Sub-Committee, Prachanda, said after the meeting. For the CPN-UML Chairman Jhalnath Khanal also, negotiations among the political players will stay on “though we have decided to take the issues for voting in CA.” Forms of governance, federal structure, judicial system and electoral process are some of the contentious issues that need to be decided before finalising the constitution. Prachanda told reporters that attempts to forge consensus will be made until the last moment. Meanwhile, the major political parties including Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the Joint Democratic Madhesi Front on Thursday held serious consultations for a last ditch to reach consensus on the contentious issues of the constitution drafting.
The extended deadline to draft the constitution is May 27. And the possibility of promulgating the constitution before the deadline is very slim. Meanwhile, Bahun –Kshetri Ekta Samaj, the group belonging to the community that is dominating in the socio-political spectrum of the country, has called countrywide general strike tomorrow and Friday for ensuring their rights and welfare in the new constitution. In the mean time, a government vehicle was burnt in Tahachal area of Kathmandu this evening by a group of youths ahead of the strike. However, the government has urged the agitating group to withdraw their proposed general strike asking them to sit for dialogue, according to government officials. (PTI)