Maoist CC meet endorses deal on statute

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: A central committee meeting of the Unified CPN-Maoist today endorsed the agreement reached among the four major political forces on constitutional issues, including the forms of governance and federalism, on Tuesday.

However, the vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya-faction, which stood in opposition the moment the deal was signed, boycotted the meeting, according to Devendra Poudel, PM’s political advisor and a politburo member.

Poudel said that party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal briefed the hastily-called meeting about the contents of the agreement, reached among the four major political forces – UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) – on the constitutional issues.

Dahal, according to Poudel, said that the 11 federal units (Pradesh Sabha) would be carved out on the basis on identity (nationality), geography and cultural presence of the given communities.

The naming and demarcation of those federal units would be determined by the transitional Legislature-Parliament after the to-be-formed high-powered federal commission came up with its suggestions.

Dahal is also learnt to have told the meeting, held at party headquarters Paris Danda, that the agreement endorsed most of the agenda, including the forms of governance, raised by his party albeit with revision.

“The parties have agreed on most of our agenda that we had been raising for long,” Poudel quoted Dahal as telling the meeting.

Dahal is said to have told the CC meeting that agreement on directly-elected president and a constitutional provision to have a Constitutional Court for five years to come were his party’s some major achievements.

The Moist chairman told the meeting that they had to compromise on some constitutional issues as new constitution would not have been adopted on May 27 if they chose to go for voting process in the Constituent Assembly.

Poudel said as many as 90 CC members were present during the meeting called to brief the agreement, which was done when less than two weeks remained to adopt the new constitution.