Kathmandu, September 10

After completing the process of tabling all the 54 amendment proposals to the “Revised Bill” of the new constitution, the Constituent Assembly today continued clause-wise discussions on the bill. The CA is preparing to conclude the discussion tomorrow.

However, it is still uncertain whether the voting process will begin tomorrow itself, said sources, adding, “The major parties may put the voting process on hold for a few days if tangible progress on talks with agitating parties can be made by tomorrow afternoon.”

“I am prepared to begin the voting process at 2:00pm tomorrow itself. However, since the parties are making attempts for talks, the status of progress will help take decision tomorrow itself,” CA Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang said.

Nembang has called the next CA meeting for 11:00am tomorrow. Ten CA members and top leaders of the political parties are scheduled to address the House tomorrow as part of the clause-wise discussion.

Eighty-four members put forth their views in the clause-wise discussion after the process of tabling the amendment proposals concluded today, according to Sudarshan Kuinkel, assistant spokesperson for the CA Secretariat. The CA is preparing to deliver the new constitution by September 17.

Earlier, the three major parties — Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Unified CPN-Maoist — tabled their joint amendment proposal at the CA meeting and requested all CA members to own the proposal as the common one although it was presented by the three parties.

NC leader Ramchandra Paudel said some missing things could be incorporated if the agitating parties came to the talks table.  “The CA has followed a long process and accomplished many layers before coming to this stage. So it is unfair to allege that it is a document of three-four leaders,” Paudel said.

CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal said the long awaited constitution should be delivered at the earliest and the process should not be paused. “The things that are not included now can be included later through constitution amendment,” he said.

Tabling the joint proposal, NC Chief Whip Chin Kaji Shrestha said, “This proposal does not only belong to the three parties because many parties have contributed to it,” he said. The proposal has addressed the concerns of indigenous people, Dalits, Tharus and Madhesis by proposing separate commissions for them, he added.

UML Chief Whip Agni Kharel rejected the allegation that the new constitution delivered amid protests would not work.

“The new statute will function well as it ensures federal democratic republican system with borders of federal units, fundamental rights and other basic values of democracy,” Kharel said.

UCPN-M Chief Whip Giriraj Mani Pokharel said his party agreed for the joint proposal despite having differences on it to safeguard the achievements of change by delivering the new constitution.

Altogether 86.15 per cent CA members are participating in the ongoing CA process and only 13.85 per cent have boycotted it, according to him.