Process likely to get new push after Dashain

KATHMANDU, OCT 14 -
If top political leaders translate their rhetoric into reality and everything goes as planned, the constitution writing process is likely to get a new push immediately after the Dashain festival.  

A meeting of the seven-member high-level taskforce formed to sort out more than two hundred contentious and crucial issues of a new constitution has decided to hold intensive discussions from October 19.

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal was appointed coordinator of the task force on Wednesday with a member each from other seven parties and the panel held a second meeting on Thursday. Emerging from the meeting, top leaders  of the parties expressed their commitment to engage in point-wise ‘intensive and serious’ discussions on the contentious issues in the new constitution from Oct. 19.

“The basis of settling the disputes would be all past agreements among the parties, including the 12-point understanding and interim constitution which has envisaged the progressive restructuring of the nation,” said Dahal after the meeting. The task force during the Dashain festival will analyse the concept papers submitted to the CA last year by eight thematic committees to expedite the task of writing the constitution after Oct. 19.  The task force will also prepare a list of contentious issues.

 Dahal said the formation of the task force is positive spadework to speed up the work of constitution drafting. However, the task of settling the disputes is a tough one. There are sharp differences among the parties on political system, federalism  and judiciary, among others. There is no indication so far that the parties are willing to concede ground on any of these issues.

Top leaders of major parties including Dahal, NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Poudel, UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and CA Chairman Subash Nembang were present in the meeting. Poudel said the constitution drafting process is moving in a positive direction. Echoing Poudel’s sentiment, Speaker Nembang said that he came out of the meeting with a positive impression.