17 Feb 2015, Kathmandu - Constituent Assembly chief Subas Nembang on Monday hinted at resuming the CA business if there is no headway in restarting stalled dialogue between the ruling and opposition parties.
Nembang reminded political leaders that the CA meeting had been postponed indefinitely in
order to facilitate talks but that was not happening. For the first time after the CA formed the Questionnaire Committee on January 25, Nembang held talks with the chief whips of two opposition parties on Monday. He met UCPN (Maoist) Chief Whip Giriraj Mani Pokhrel and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik Chief Whip Ram Janam Chaudhary, urging them to sit for talks without further delay.
As the ruling and agitating parties stick to their positions, Nembang plans to bring both the sides to the negotiating table. He believes that it will be easier for the opposition parties to join a dialogue convened by him. Nembang conveyed this message to the top leaders of the two parties through their chief whips.
Pokhrel and Chaudhary will consult with their respective party bosses about the resumption of dialogue. “If there is no progress in talks, there is no meaning of postponement of the CA session,” Nembang told the Post.
He told the leaders that he will consult with the government and the top leaders of the ruling parties to resume dialogue.
Nembang could provide additional time for consensus if the parties sit down for talks and show some progress. Otherwise, he considers it his moral duty to resume the CA process. Initially, Nembang was in favour of postponing the CA meeting by 10 days but he announced that the meeting had been deferred until further notice following suggestions from the parties.
Opposition leaders have said they will not sit for talks until Prime Minister Sushil Koirala comes up with another statement committing to the consensus way of constitution drafting. Deputy Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh said on Monday that the PM will not issue another statement inviting the opposition
for talks as his first call “is sufficient”.
The agitating parties have announced that they will not sit for talks with the CA chairman as they are miffed at Nembang after he announced the formation of the Questionnaire Committee “unilaterally”.
Opposition party leaders say Nembang acted as the spokesman of his CPN-UML party, instead of maintaining neutrality. If time passes without any outcome, Nembang is preparing to resume the majority process in the CA. “We raised questions about his neutrality as the CA chairman to convene talks,” said Chaudhary. There is immense pressure on both the sides to start talks and take the constitution drafting process forward on the basis of consensus.
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