News analysis: Parties again likely to miss statute drafting deadline Sushil Pandey Political parties are likely to miss the September 30 deadline to create consensus on the contentious issues of the new constitution. The Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (CPDCC) of the Constituent Assembly has only a couple of days to forge consensus on the disputed issues. However, parties are yet to indulge sincerely to make consensus on the disputed issues especially federalism, forms of governance, electoral model and judiciary. On September 18, the full house of the CA extended the deadline to forge consensus till September 30 after CPDCC failed to meet its 6 September deadline. The panel has also been entrusted the responsibility of submitting the questionnaire of the unsettled issues by October 7 to the CA’s full house if the panel failed to gather consensus. CA regulation allows to extend the deadline of CPDCC only once. And since the panel got its deadline extended already, the CA should go for voting process to settle contentious issues if the panel missed September 30 deadline, too. However, parties differ whether disputed issues should be resolved through vote. Unified CPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties have been pressing to make consensus rather than putting the thorniest issues to a vote. The possibility of forging consensus on the tough issues seems elusive within a couple of days as some bigwigs are embarking the foreign junkets. Prime Minister Sushil Koirala is in the US to take part in United Nations General Assembly. Likewise, UML leader Jhala Nath Khanal left the country for health check up and NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba is in UK on a private trip. With the big festival round the corner and absenteeism of the top guns, consensus on the thorny issues seems elusive consequently pushing the parties to a new dispute whether to put the issues to a vote or take more initiatives for consensus.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 03:08:58 +0000
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