Nepal parties mull 'fast track' approach for new Constitution

Nepal's political parties are mulling a proposal to adopt a "fast track" approach for promulgating a new Constitution within a year to end political uncertainty in the country.
The Constituent Assembly is preparing to adopt a fast-track model to frame the new Constitution within a year, Nepali Congress lawmaker Prakash Sharan Mahat told PTI.
"By fast track, we mean owning up the past agreements reached among political parties during the tenure of the first Constituent Assembly," he said.
He said all but two important issues were settled by the first Constituent Assembly that served from 2008 to 2012. The two unresolved issues were the forms of government and type of federal structure to be incorporated in the new Constitution.

"If the political parties work seriously and sincerely, there is no doubt that the Constitution would be promulgated within the stipulated timeframe of one year," Mahat said.
Political parties expressed their commitment to promulgate the Constitution within a year soon after the new Constituent Assembly's first meeting began last month.

However, Nilambar Acharya, a constitutional expert and chairman of the Constitutional Committee of the former Constituent Assembly, said a fast track approach might not work.
Democratic procedures and parliamentary process could not be bypassed in the name of drafting the new Constitution through a fast track method, he said.
"We need to pursue democratic procedure, constitutional process and parliamentary process while promulgating the Constitution," he argued.

A committee of experts should first prepare a draft Constitution and it should be taken to the public for debate. After making amendments in the draft that incorporate the people's voice, the Constituent Assembly should formally endorse it before promulgating the Constitution, he said.
The 601-member Constituent Assembly is preparing a regulation for drafting the Constitution according to the mandate of the people, Mahat said.