28 parties one on 127 issues

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: The 28 parties represented in the Constituent Assembly (CA) today endorsed the understanding reached at the seven-member taskforce-level on 127 issues, including all the issues related to the Constitutional Committee.

The meeting, chaired by the CA chairman Subas Chandra Nembang, however, let the parties and CA members register their suggestions, if any, on the 127 constitutional issues with the CA secretariat in writing. Although the parties endorsed the taskforce’s understanding, they are yet to decide whether a mechanism just like the existing Constitutional Council, led by head of the government, should appoint the chief justice, judges and chief commissioners and commissioners of the constitutional bodies or a separate body like the existing Judicial Council needs to be created to appoint other judges of the Supreme Court and lower courts. This issue will be further discussed at the CA full House and at the Constitutional Committee, which has top leaders of all the parties as members. Post Bahadur Bogati, chief whip of the UCPN-Maoist, said the parties would start debates on the remaining 83 issues tomorrow morning.

The CA chairman had asked the parties to endorse the 127 issues agreed upon at the taskforce-level; start debates on the remaining 83 constitutional issues immediately and take a suitable decision on the constitutional State Restructuring Commission (SRC).

“I have asked the parties to sort out the state restructuring issue at the earliest as without its settlement the constitution-drafting process will remain stalled,” Nembang said.

But the problem is that the government has to constitute the SRC, which has not been formed due to the absence of the elected government. The Madhesi parties are particularly apprehensive in the sense that the SRC could add more federal units in the Tarai-Madhes region, which they do not want.

The Maoists, on the other hand, want to form the commission with a limited mandate and duration. The three major parties have already agreed that the SRC would be formed by the elected government. Although the constitutional SRC may come up with its recommendation on the federal units, it is the CA that takes the final decision.

With just five months left to adopt the new constitution, the parties are now required to sort out their differences on major issues, including the form of government, election system, system of the judiciary and restructuring of the state along federal line.