Nepal to miss constitution deadline amid continuing confusion

Kathmandu Nepali lawmakers were Wednesday set to miss a selfimposed deadline for promulgation of the countrys new constitution after the various political parties failed to reach a consensus on key issues eluding a resolutionJan 22 was the deadline the lawmakers imposed upon themselves last year in the wake of the election to the second Constituent Assembly CA after the first CA elected for a twoyear term failed in the Himalayan task from May 28 2008 to May 28 2012The second CA was elected in 2013 and at its first meeting Jan 21 2014 it resolved to draft the countrys new constitution within a year a task which it has failed to perform due to an elusive consensus among the 30 political parties that find representation in the unicameral bodyThe 601 lawmakers could not even start preparatory work during the year gone by with differences over process and procedure proving to be stumbling blocks Procedural wrangling apart the parties have failed to forge muchneeded consensus on contentious issues of the envisaged constitution which include issues relating to the federal structure form of government electoral system and the design of the judiciaryMajor political parties the ruling Nepali Congress and alliance partner CPNUML as also the main opposition Unified CPN Maoist and a bagful of Madheshbased parties have differing opinions over the issue of federalism and several crossparty talks have failed to yield any favourable resultWhat would be our reply tomorrow Thursday to the people who tasked us with framing a new constitution CA chairman Subash Chandra Nembang asked during Wednesdays meeting at the CA which was again disrupted by opposition parties led by Unified CPN MaoistThe Constituent Assembly early Tuesday turned into a battleground after opposition parties disrupted an assembly meeting and attacked lawmakers from the ruling parties resulting in injuries to a dozen security personnelLawmakers from opposition parties led by UCPN Maoist began shouting and vandalizing infrastructure when CA chairman Nembang asked Nepali Congress chief whip Chinkaji Shrestha to form a panel to initiate a voting process for the settlement of contentious issues With no new constitution within sight a blame game has now broken outAt a press conference Wednesday Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal also known as Prachanda accused Prime Minister Sushil Koirala of playing a villainous role in spoiling the whole process However former prime minister and senior UML leader Jhala Nath Khanal blamed the Maoists and their leadership for taking hostage the constitutionframing processPolitical analysts here said it was difficult to predict the situation after Jan 22 and they were not sure whether the confrontation will continue or there would be a compromise after that The Maoists and their allies want the deadline to pass without any result so that they can blame the ruling Nepali Congress and UML for the failure of the constitutiondrafting processFraming of the countrys new constitution was a key demand put forth by the CPNMaoist when it decided to join mainstream politics in 2006 after a tenyearlong armed conflict with the avowed aim of overthrowing the Nepali monarchy and establishing a Peoples RepublicLate Tuesday Indias Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement calling on Nepali parties to work together in the final stages of the peace process in drawing up a Constitution that honours past agreements and understandings as well as the mandate of the CA electionsThe United Nations in a statement here said the constitution is meant to be a foundational document that will guide the countrys course for the foreseeable future To be implemented peacefully and offer stability it will require the widest support from the Nepali people The international community calls upon the parties to redouble their efforts to secure an inclusive constitution said a statement issued by the UN Office Kathmandu