Million dollar CA at death’s door
Having invested billions of rupees from the state’s treasury and the donor community in the past two years, Nepal’s Constituent Assembly (CA) stands confused with no special outcome to show except the bickering among the parties, which is likely to cause the institution’s own death on Friday.
According to officials, the government has already spent over one billion 392 million rupees for the CA by April 13, 2010. “There is a ceiling of Rs. 570 million for the Constituent Assembly in the budget for the next fiscal year,” said a senior official at the Ministry of Finance. “In case of term extension, the additional budget will be allocated.”
Earlier, the Finance Ministry had allocated Rs. 746 million for the CA in 2008/09 and 770 million in 2009/10. The CA elections held in April 2008 had cost around Rs. 2.71 billion.
“We are yet to calculate the total expenditure till date. But the Assembly has already spent Rs. 1,39,25,32,896 from 2065 Jestha (May 14, 2008) to 2066 Chaitra (April 13, 2010) from the state’s treasury,” said Mukunda Sharma, spokesperson for the CA Secretariat. The cost, according to Sharma, covers monthly salary and allowances of each lawmaker amounting to Rs. 57,148, cost of conducting meetings of the committees, CA and the Parliament, among others.
With the failure of the 601-member assembly to promulgate the constitution within the stipulated time, there are demands from various quarters that the lawmakers repay the large sum spent by the state to complete the process.
Civil society leader Shyam Shrestha, however, does not buy this argument.
“Constitution drafting is a national agenda so we should not create controversy over the investments made for the process,” said Shrestha. “This is very unfortunate that our leaders devoted very little time for constitution writing, so this is a time for creating pressure for national consensus,” he added.
The delay in constitution drafting has equally worried the donor community, which has significantly funded the state agencies and non-government sectors for the initiatives on constitution writing.
According to a donor source, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will spend US$ 12 million (Rs. 904,320,000) by 2010 under its support to participatory constitution building in Nepal project. The UNDP has supported infrastructure worth US$ 754,667 (Rs. 56,871,705.12) for the CA Secretariat.
The UNDP support includes 30 vehicles and logistics for decorating the meeting halls of 11 thematic committees. The Centre for Constitutional Dialogue located at New Baneshwor, launched by UNDP in Jan. 2009 organises dialogue for constitution building.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided infrastructure worth US$ 252,418 (Rs. 19,022,220.48) for the Parliament Secretariat. The Media Centre located on the CA premises was set up with the USAID support. The donors have provided over Rs. 300 million through epal Peace Trust Fund during the public opinion collection campaign conducted by the CA last year.
Apart from logistical support for constitution drafting, the donors, including Japan International Cooperation Agency and German Technical Cooperation have provided opportunities for the CA members for observation visits to foreign countries. INGO’s, including the Asia Foundation, International Idea and Law Society have made investments for publishing reference materials on constitution drafting.
Fringe parties show way out
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, MAY 27
Amid uncertainty about the turn the country’s politics can take, 12 fringe parties represented in the Constituent Assembly (CA) have come up with a win-win model of extending CA term that expires on Friday.
The parties suggested that the UCPN (Maoist) support the extension of the CA tenure and big three political parties agree to form a national unity government within three weeks. Co-chairman of Rastriya Janashakti Party Prakash Chandra Lohani said, “Twelve parties have concluded that the major political parties should agree on the two proposals and settle contentious issues, such integration of Maoist combatants and returning property seized by the former rebels.”
Expenditures by April 2010:
Rs. 1,39,25,32,896
Budget ceiling for 2010/11: Rs. 570m
Monthly expense per CA member
Salary: Rs. 26,110
Personal Assistant: Rs. 13,990
Electricity/Water: Rs. 1,248
Telephone: Rs. 2,000
Residence: Rs. 6,500
Miscellaneous: Rs. 1,000
Newspapers: Rs. 3,000
Meeting allowances: Rs. 6,000 (Rs. 200 per day)
Total: Rs. 57,148
Donors’ support to CA Secretariat
India: Five buses
Korea: Samsung computers 20
ADB: Mike system 1
UNDP
Jeep: 30
Meeting table: 150
Revolving chair: 1,000
Executive table: 42
Sofa set: 84
Computer table: 14
Computer: 40
Printer: 18
Multi media projector: 14
Photocopy machine: 21
Digital camera: 14
Movie camera: 14
Mike system: 10
USAID
Filing cabinet: 2
Fax machine: 1
Executive table: 1
Revolving chair: 9
Lenovo computer: 9
L shape table: 1
Table with CPU stand: 4
Table for photocopy machine: 1
Photocopy machine: 1
Printer: 1
29” TV: 1
ADSL planet: 1
TV camera: 3
14” TV: 4
Camera control unit: 3
Audio video matrix mixture: 3
Distribution button amplifier: 1
Samsung TV: 13
Sony DVD player: 1
Samsung TV 63”: 2
14” flat TV: 1
Volt guard: 3
Posted on: 2010-05-28 08:33
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Abin
Shit! The note is lost. I had better avoid extemporising. ...have been told not to blab.
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