Question drafting gains momentum

4 Feb 2015, Kathmandu - The subcommittee of the Questionnaire Committee has prepared objective questions for voting in the Constituent Assembly on the preamble of the new constitution, fundamental rights, the legislature and issues related to statute amendment.

Members of the taskforce said it will take a

couple of days for them to come up

with questions on the other key disputed issues such

as federalism, forms of government, judiciary and electoral system. The subcommittee on Tuesday submitted its progress report to the committee. The sub-panel has also completed questions related to constitutional bodies and the electoral system.

Taskforce member Ramesh Lekhak said work is under way to prepare the questionnaire. The committee is unlikely to complete its task within the five days ending on Wednesday. The CA meeting scheduled for Thursday is likely to extend the tenure of the committee if it fails to prepare all the questions. The questions will include the positions taken by the parties in the CA on the contentious issues of statutedrafting. A taskforce member, however, said the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are in favour of buying more time for consensus efforts.

19 parties consider CA boycott

The 19-party bloc led by the UCPN (Maoist) is unlikely to attend the Constituent Assembly meeting scheduled for Thursday.

Since the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML had not cleared way for consensus, leaders of the alliance said there is no point attending the meet. The opposition is expected to take a decision towards this end on Wednesday.

The Questionnaire Committee is expected to table the report on the contentious issues of constitution writing in the upcoming CA meeting. The alliance has boycotted the meeting of the committee arguing that it was formed despite their reservation. “We have agreed tentatively not to attend Thursday’s meeting,” said Maoist Chief Whip Giriraj Mani Pokharel.

The bloc has announced protest programmes against the decision to form the committee. Parties in the bloc have directed their CA members to reach their respective constituencies as part of their preparation for the protest.

“We are concentrating our efforts to make the agitation a success. Also, it makes little sense to participate in the process when there is no talk of consensus,” said Shivaji Yadav, chief whip of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal.

According to Pokharel, the Maoist party has decided not to attend House meetings too.