Forge consensus before writing Nepal Constitution: UCPN-Maoist

Nepal's main opposition Unified CPN-Maoist today appealed to the ruling parties to pursue the Constitution-writing process as per the spirit of the 12-point understanding, the Interim Constitution and the Comprehensive Peace Accord reached among the major parties in the past.
The high level meeting of the party held at its head office here concluded that since the Constituent Assembly is not like the regular Legislative Assembly, the ruling parties should not move ahead on the basis of 'majority' while writing the Constitution.
"A decision has been taken for preparing for a struggle from within the Constituent Assembly and in the street as well if the ruling parties go ahead through the majority voting process to promulgate the Constitution," the party's Standing Committee member Agni Prasad Sapkota said.

He pointed out that a Constitution with far-reaching consequences could not be drafted on the basis of a majority but it needed the consent of the forces that fought the People's Movement.
The UCPN-Maoist leader said that the meeting decided to mobilise the people in collaboration with the 19 parties represented in the Constituent Assembly (CA), the 11 parties outside the CA, other fringe parties, the breakaway CPN-Maoist which boycotted the CA election and the indigenous groups, to press for issuing a Constitution through consensus.
While emphasising that the main law of the land should be such that it would be internalised by all, the meeting concluded that anyone 'forcing it' could not be considered as reasonable and justified, Sapkota added.

The meeting discussed the latest political situation in the country, the steps the party needed to take in this situation and collaboration with other parties.

It also concluded that although the parties are close to a consensus on the contentious issues of the new Constitution, the ruling parties were not vigorous enough to settle these issues.
The political parties were trying to forge consensus on key issues of the Constitution, including forms of governance, electoral system and federal structure. However, so far they have not succeeded in narrowing down their differences.
The deadline to write the Constitution expires on January 22 but there is little possibility so far of meeting the deadline for drafting the new Constitution.