KATHMANDU, FEB 03 – The Questionnaire Committee of the Constituent Assembly on Monday formed a nine-member subcommittee to formulate objective questions on the contentious issues of constitution writing for voting purpose.
The subcommittee will prepare questions on the basis of the reports submitted by the Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (PDCC) and the discussions held in the full House on the contentious issues of the new constitution. The committee endorsed its terms of reference (ToR) on Sunday.
The fourth-largest RPP-Nepal boycotted the committee meeting after the ruling parties turned down its proposal to prepare questions on federalism, republicanism and secularism. The UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties are outside the committee stating that they do not support a majority approach in constitution drafting. Out of the 31 parties in the CA, 20 have expressed dissatisfaction at the committee.
The ToR states that the subcommittee prepares a proposal along with the questionnaire so that they do not contravene the principles of democratic republic, secularism and inclusiveness passed by the first meeting of the CA with consent from all the parties to institutionalise the achievements and spirits of the popular movements in the past. UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties along with some fringe parties have decided not to attend Thursday’s CA meeting.
Members of the legal fraternity have suggested that Prime Minister Sushil Koirala should take the agitating parties on board the constitution drafting process by incorporating their points of view even as notes of dissent.
Some of the legal eagles were of the view that by-election may be necessary if the opposition reigns en masse from the CA. Koirala convened a meeting on Monday to solicit views from lawyers and advocates on the stalemate following the formation of the Questionnaire Committee in the CA.
The UCPN (Maoist) has threatened to quit the CA altogether if it is “completely sidelined in the statute drafting process”.
An alliance of opposition parties that it leads has already declared a series of protests against the ruling parties’ move to form the committee despite their objection.
“The opposition needs to be brought on board so that they feel ownership of the process. The ruling parties should present alternatives for resolving the dispute,” said Bipin Adhikari, dean of the law faculty at Kathmandu University. He added that the ruling parties should explain how the joint proposal of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML addresses the issue of identity and inclusion.
