Four political forces close to deal on federalism based on multiple identities as House secretariat prepares preliminary draft of constitution

With just hours to go before the term of the Constituent Assembly expires, top leaders of four political forces – UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) – are engaged in top-level political parleys on Sunday to resolve the differences on disputed issues and promulgate the constitution within midnight today

In the meeting held at Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar since early morning, the leaders of the four political forces appear very flexible on their respective stance to create necessary grounds for promulgation of the constitution today.

After a series of bilateral and multilateral talks, the political parties are said to be inching closer to federalism based on multiple identities but giving “priority rights” to one dominant ethnic group in each state.

The discussions are said to be focused on this particular aspect of constitution to complete the ongoing negotiations.

The Standing Committee meeting of the Maoist party concluded just a short while ago also decided to adopt “maximum flexibility” on state restructuring.

With this, the chances of the NC and UML, which remain adamant on their demand for multiple identities, of agreeing to grant “priority rights” to a dominant group in each state, has grown.

Meanwhile, the Parliament Secretariat has prepared a preliminary draft of the new constitution hoping that the parties might complete negations on constitutional issues to promulgate the constitution within midnight today.

However, the draft of the constitution has only incorporated the constitutional issues already agreed upon while leaving the disputed issues to the “transformed parliament” to resolve, it is learnt. Nepalnews.com