Nembang may halt CA process

12 FEB 2015, Kathmandu - After Questionnaire Committee submits its report to full House on Thursday, Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairman Subas Nembang is expected to halt CA process for some time to create a conducive environment toresume talks among parties on contents of new constitution.

However, with both the ruling and the opposition parties sticking to their

guns chances of immediate talks look grim. The panel is scheduled to present objective questions on disputed issues of new constitution through voting process.

According to a source, the parties may get at least 10 more days to forge consensus which means there will not be an immediate voting.

Mounting pressure from various quarters, including President Ram Baran Yadav, Nembang and cross-party leaders have reached a conclusion to invest additional time and efforts to bring the UCPN (Maoist), Madhes-based parties and other fringe parties on board the constitution draftingprocess.

With the Questionnaire Committee already completing its tasks, a move to postpone the process presents an ideal opportunity for the parties to iron out their differences. This will allow a face-saving for the opposition parties who are demanding the committee be scrapped to sit for talks , according to leaders of the ruling parties.

Fourth-largest party Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal’s deciding to boycott the CA meeting, it will not be a full House. The opposition front of UCPN (Maoist), Madhes-based parties and some fringe parties is already outside the ‘majority constitution drafting process.’

A senior ruling party leader, however, said that Nembang is not in a position to defer the meeting for indefinite period as he himself had initiated the process.

“Parties are not committed to forge consensus on contents of new constitution. In such scenario, the CA will take its own course,” Nembang said on Wednesday.

The opposition bloc has demanded a supplementary statement from Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, clarifying government’s position about drafting a new constitution on the basis of consensus.

But the ruling parties are not in favour of taking another call

 Some moderate leaders from either side are, however, making efforts to bring them to the negotiating table. Informal talks are under way among the parties without much progress.

Ruling party leaders said they would work with the CA chairman to speed up the CA process if no deal can be reached immediately.

But opposition party leaders have warned that if voting process is initiated without agreement among the

major stakeholders will effectively end any chances of them participating in the drafting process.