CA extends Questionnaire Committee deadline by 5 days

5 Feb 2015, Kathmandu - Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang announced the unanimous extension of 5 days as the dead line for the Questionnaire Committeethrough majority voice vote process, amid the protests and slogan shouting carried out by the CA members of Rastriya Prajatantra Party- Nepal (RPP-N) on Thursday.

The proposal for the extension of deadline for the committee was tabled

by the senior committee member Kul Bahadur Gurung.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Questionnaire Committee of Constituent Assembly (CA) formed to prepare questions on disputed issues of new constitution had sought five more days to accomplish its tasks.

The UCPN (Maoist) -led 19-party bloc had decided not to attend the CA meeting following the formation of the committee by the CA Chairman two weeks ago. They boycotted today’s CA meet as well.

Likewise, RPP-N has already boycotted the committee meeting after the ruling parties turned down its proposal to include questions on secularism, federalism and republicanism.

RPP-N Chairman Kamal Thapa said that they have officially filed their dissent and protest. “We have talked with CA Chairman and the Prime Minister. The talks are positive. We are waiting,” he said, “We feel that the decision of the Questionnaire Committee will be amended. If so then we will participate otherwise the protest will carry on.”

Meanwhile, CPN-UML leader Jhala Nath Khanal said that there is no need to preparequestionnaire regarding republicanism, secularism and federalism as the interim constitution had already endorsed them. “The matter can be raised at the CA. Voting can also be done. But it is not necessary to draft questionnaire,” he said.

On a different note, leader Khanal said that effort to forge consensus is still underway. “9-10 parties are presently in consensus,’ he said, “They have said that moving ahead with two third majority is moving along with national consensus.”