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VOL. 28, NO. 11, Nov 21 , 2008 (Mangsir 06 2065 B.S.)
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CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
Statute Course
The CA passes regulation and calendar on constitution writing. But parties are still at odds on key issues.
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
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Constituent Assembly: Statue Calendar |
The last one week saw the CA take up the issue of constitution writing with much earnest. After months of facing criticism over delay in starting the process, the CA not only passed the much-awaited regulations defining the method of constitution writing but also fixed the calendar for the purpose.
As the CA chairman Subas Nemwang had promised, the passage of calendar on Sunday (Nov 16, Mangsir 1) has officially kicked off the process of writing the new statute through elected representatives.
On Friday (Nov 14), the CA had, unanimously, passed its regulation, which was presented by Narayan Man Bijukchee, the chairman of the committee formed to draft it.
The regulation could be passed after major parties agreed to omit any reference to the system of party whip. The regulation has provisions for various subject wise committees necessary to draft the new constitution.
The four major parties – including three ruling parties Maoists, UML, MJF and opposition NC – decided last week to drop any reference to the 'disputed' issue of whip from the regulation. They made the decision after smaller parties including MJF and those based in Madhes demanded that the parties not be allowed to exercise whip on their members when deciding on important constitutional provisions, and, instead, allow the members to exercise their individual vote of conscience.
Subsequently, the CA adopted the detailed calendar. As per the calendar, the new constitution would be ready by May 2010. It also fixes time regarding the collection of public opinion and so on.
The election to the post of vice-chairman of the Constituent Assembly will take place on November 28.
Even as the regulatory hurdles for starting the process of constitution writing have been cleared, the political hurdles remain.
The gaps between the ruling Maoists and the opposition Nepali Congress (NC) have grown in last few days.
Just as the CA was passing the calendar, the opposition leader and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala was accusing the Maoists of not giving priority to the process of writing new constitution.
Addressing the NC's mass meeting in Birgunj, Koirala said, "NC will apply all kinds of pressure to ensure that the constitution is written on time."
He also lashed out at Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. "The country does not need a communism advocated by Prachanda," he said. He said that both neighbors of Nepal wanted to see peace and stability here. "The foreigners are closely watching how the NC behaves," he said.
Talking to reporters in Birgunj, Koirala added that he was saddened by the 'breach of understandings' by the Maoists.
His fresh accusations have come in the wake of statement by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' at the CA on Tuesday (Nov 11) promising to fulfill the 9-point memorandum submitted by the main opposition party Nepali Congress.
He also told the House that procedures for return of the sized properties would be carried out under the monitoring of a parliamentary body to ensure that works are done effectively.
On the other hand, the debate on army integration continues to rage on. While in Birgunj, senior NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba ruled out the possibility of integrating Maoist combatants into national army.
Addressing a function in Panchthar, a district in eastern Nepal, general secretary of ruling coalition partner Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) Jhal Nath Khanal said that any Maoist combatant becoming NA chief was beyond imagination.
Amid such rhetorics, the calendar for constitution writing could face big challenges in the coming days.
Rift In Maoists!
In what appears as a serious crack within the Maoists, the party chairman Prachanda has faced a formidable challenge from his former mentor and senior party ideologue Mohan Baidya ‘Kiran.’
On Monday (Nov 17), when the central committee meeting started in Bhaktapur, party chairman and prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' as well as senior party leader of Maoists, Mohan Baidya 'Kiran' registered two separate documents for discussion.
The two documents have been registered at a time when reports of rival factions jockeying for their own version of democratic republic and people's republic have been doing rounds.
Party spokesperson and Minister for Information Krishna Bahadur Mahara has said discussions over them will start from Wednesday (Nov 19). Earlier the faction led by Kiran had been sounding out that they would register a different document if Prachanda's document is not to their liking.
Reports say Prachanda's document backs competitive federal democratic republic while Kiran's document backs going for People's Republic. Talking to reporters after he emerged out of the meeting, PM Dahal said, "I have just registered my political report. On the nature of republic, (I have forwarded models of) parliamentary democracy, people's republic and transitional republic.
The different documents have been registered ahead of crucial National Conference of Party Cadres of the Maoists.
