Kathmandu: Amid the failure to agree on a
national government, Nepal`s political parties on Thursday decided
to begin work on the new constitution next week, a top Maoist
leader said on Thursday.
Narayankaji Shrestha, Vice-Chairman of the United
CPN-Maoist, said the political parties have agreed to resume
constitution-drafting process from next week.
They have also decided to accomplish the task of
framing the constitution by Mid-April, ahead of the deadline
of May 28, 2011 set by the Constituent Assembly, Shrestha was
quoted as saying by myrepublica online, the website of
Republica newspaper today.
The three major parties -- main Opposition
UCPN-Maoist, the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of
Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), the two partners in the
ruling alliance, failed to reach a consensus on a prime
ministerial candidate by Jul 12 deadline set by President Ram
Baran Yadav.
Now Nepalese lawmakers will elect a new Prime Minister
on July 21 following a direction by the President to form a
majority government.
The three major political parties have agreed to give
full shape to the proposed State Restructuring Commission
(SRC) within the next two weeks, the report said.
Senior leaders from the parties reached an agreement
on this issue today. However, they agreed to appoint the
members of the commission only after the formation of new
government, the report said.
"The commission will start its work from July 31 and
we have also agreed to give two months of timeframe for the
commission to prepare its report on the matter," Shrestha told
reporters.
Meanwhile, the Nepal`s second largest party, Nepali
Congress, stepped up efforts to head a coalition government
after the key decision was formally approved by the party
leadership, though it failed to agree on a prime ministerial
candidate.
Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress in
principle decided to form a government under the party`s
leadership, Bimalendra Nidhi, the party`s general secretary
said here today.
He, however, said that it is yet to decide as to who
will lead the government.
The Nepali Congress has argued that it is now their
turn to lead a government after the Maoists and the CPN-UML
failed to conclude the peace process and frame a new
constitution by the stipulated deadline of May 28.
PTI
