Major parties make breakthrough, sign on new deal with six-Pradesh model

KATHMANDU: Four major parties in the Special Committee of the Constituent Assembly's Constitutional Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee on Saturday late night resolved the key contentious issues regarding federalism and agreed in writing to opt for the six-Pradesh model with the boundaries of new federal states fixed.

Television channels showed the top leaders of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN-Maoist and Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic signing the breakthrough deal, which includes the six federal states with demarcation of their boundaries, after an arduous task of negotiation among themselves.

It has been learned that some issues related to secularism, provision of threshold in elections and constitutional bodies, however, are yet to be settled.

UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and MJF-D Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar signed the deal expressing their reservation over some issues.

"I expressed deep concerns over the demarcation (of federal states)... But I have signed the draft...For now, the constitution is the biggest issue. If we fail to deliver constitution, the country will be mired in deep crisis," Gachhadar said.

After signing the agreement, Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said that the country would get the new constitution soon.

"I would like to urge all parties and civil society to choose peace, and not agitation,  in the country," he said.

Other signatory is CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli.

CPDCC's Chairman and Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai dubbed today's agreement as a milestone in the constitution-drafting process. "This is not final. Still there is scope of amendments in the draft when it is taken to the Constituent Assembly," he said, in a mild tone, apparently to convince the dissatisfied groups.

Now, the  CPDCC's meeting, scheduled for 11 am in the morning, would endorse the breakthrough agreement and finalise its report before sending it to the Constituent Assembly.

Meanwhile, the CA meeting has been called for 1 pm on Sunday.

Earlier, the parties have said that the new constitution would be promulgated by August through fast-track.

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