The marathon meeting of seven party leaders arrived at a twenty-point pact, Tuesday night, agreeing on issues related with constitution amendment and implementation of previous peace agreement.
As per the agreement, the government is expected to endorse a proposal for the Fifth Amendment of the interim constitution through the meeting of Council of Ministers, on Wednesday, and present the same at the meeting of Constituent Assembly today.
Even as the parties did not reach understanding on the demand of Nepali Congress (NC) to let the opposition member be included in the Security Council, they struck understanding on other points.
The fifth amendment will allow the formation of government through simple majority. It will also allow the CA to elect president and vice president through simple majority. But they can be impeached only by two-third majority.
This amendment will pave the way for formation of new government through the floor of the CA.
Likewise, the amendment will delete references to the seven parties and the name of their interim parliamentarians. The Constitutional Council – which is authorised to make appointments in constitutional bodies – will include leader of opposition.
Apart from agreeing on constitution amendment, the parties have also reached seven-point understanding on the implementation of peace pacts in order to take the peace process to logical conclusion.
As per this pact, the parties have agreed to complete the integration of Maoist combatants within six months. They agreed that criteria of security bodies of the state will have to be met when integrating Maoist combatants. They agreed to integrate UNMIN-verified combatants into security bodies and rehabilitate others into society. The political affiliation of the Maoist combatants will be terminated and the military/paramilitary structure of YCL dismantled within two weeks.
On the issue of mandate of UNMIN, the parties agreed to reduce it and limit that to monitoring of management of arms and combatants.
The captured lands and properties will be returned within two weeks and legal actions initiated against those who do not return them by then, the parties have agreed.
The latest deal will end the political deadlock and clear the decks for the Maoists to show their strength in the assembly and form next government through simple majority. It has already forged alliance with UML – together the two parties will command a comfortable majority – on the issue of sharing the positions of prime minister and president.
Meanwhile, the deal also signals the departure of Nepali Congress (NC) from the ruling alliance as it has said it will now stay in opposition. Being the second largest party, the NC had demanded the position of president but the Maoists rejected their demand closing the deal with UML – third largest party – instead. nepalnews.com sd Jun 25 08
