Statute writing: Maoists plan to ask parties to put thorny issues to vote in Assembly
The UCPN (Maoist) is preparing to press other parties to put contentious issues of statute writing to vote in the Constituent Assembly in order to prepare the first draft of the constitution.
The party’s position comes a day after the ruling party unanimously decided to stand for a ‘dignified army integration process’ and ‘People’s Federal Republican Constitution’. Non-Maoist parties oppose the preparation of the first draft based on the decision of the majority saying it will be a futile exercise as the endorsement of the constitution requires two-thirds majority in the CA. All eyes are on the Constitutional Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning. The committee is struggling to endorse an understanding reached by major political parties at the Dispute Resolution Subcommittee led by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
“We will not renege on issues settled by the subcommittee,” said Maoist lawmaker Khim Lal Devkota. “There is no longer a dissenting opinion over peace and constitution in the party.”
But hardliners offer varying interpretations. “We will stick to the proposals publicised by the party as its draft constitution. The recommendations of the subcommittee will be re-examined in the Constitutional Committee,” said Maoist leader Dev Gurung. Devkota is hopeful that the parties will find a meeting point on forms of governance and that the Nepali Congress will abide by the agreement on the mixed model of governance.
Gurung, claiming that there is little possibility of consensus at the Constitutional Committee, stressed the need for finalising the first draft on the basis of the majority vote. “There are 32 parties. Hence, there is diversity of opinion in the Constitutional Committee. It can settle only not-so-controversial issues,” added Gurung. “We will try to find consensus on outstanding issues. There is no alternative to voting on the issues that cannot be decided unanimously.”
UML leader Agni Kharel said putting contentious issues like forms of governance and state restructuring to a vote would be ‘devastating’. “For a while, the modality may work. But it will make it more difficult to garner a two-thirds majority required to promulgate the statute,” he said.
Posted on: 2012-01-17 09:01
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All of them discussed the issue. The result was the same...and we have committed to continue discussions on the issue till midnight.
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