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CA okays new calendar of events
- Nembang urges parties to go extra mile
KATHMANDU, JUL 18 -
The Constituent Assembly (CA) has endorsed its new calendar of events with the provision of promulgating the new constitution by April 13, 2011.
The new time plan for statute drafting was fixed after Sunday’s CA session unanimously passed the 11th amendment to the calendar of events. The first draft of the new constitution will be prepared by the Constitutional Committee (CC) by Nov. 16, states the new schedule.
The constitution-drafting process has been stagnated due to disputes among the parties over the concept papers prepared by eight of the 11 thematic committees of the CA. The CA has so far forwarded the reports of three thematic committees to the CC to prepare the first draft of the constitution. The schedule approved on Sunday states that the reports of the remaining eight committees would be submitted to the CC by Oct. 17.
The remaining steps in statute drafting include publication of the first draft of the constitution in Nepal Gazette, collection of public opinion, revision of the draft based on public response, preparation of the constitution bill, amendment to and passage of the bill by the CA and proclamation of the new constitution amid by President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav. The revised schedule has not outlined timeline of each of the steps but has said the decision on the matter would be made by the Business Advisory Committee of the CA.
Meanwhile, CA Chairman Subas Nembang unveiled a white paper at Sunday’s CA session outlining the causes behind the failure to promulgate the new constitution within the May 28 deadline. Nembang maintained that the causes behind the deadlock in constitution drafting include political connection” made between constitution drafting and the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants, stagnation in the peace process and unstable relationship among major political parties.
Nembang has also noted that continued agitation carried out by major parties, regular disruption of the Parliament session, delay in electing the president, vice-president and prime minister after the CA elections of April 2008 were other reasons behind the failure to promulgate the constitution within the stipulated time.
The CA chair also said constitution drafting could not become the top priority of the country after the CA elections. Lack of national experience in writing the constitution from CA and the failure to forge consensus on the basic principles of the new constitution are major reasons behind failure in statute drafting.
“We are in retrospect for failing to complete the important tasks within the stipulated time,” said Speaker Nembang urging the parties to move ahead with political consensus in order to draft the new constitution within the new deadline. The CA session convened for the first time on Sunday after it was postponed until further notice on April 17. Due to lack of business,
the next session has been postponed indefinitely.
Posted on: 2010-07-19 08:39
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