Kathmandu, May 23:

Speaker of the Interim Parliament Subas Nembang today discussed a draft of the Interim Procedure of Constituent Assembly Meeting, 2065 and security arrangements for the first Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting with representatives of all 25 parties elected to the CA. The draft will be finalised on May 25.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula and chief of the Nepal Police Om Bikram Rana also attended the meeting held at the parliament secretariat in Singha Durbar.

The Nepal Police has been given the task of looking after security arrangements on the premises of the International Convention Centre, where a full meeting of the CA will take place, and outside it. Only marshals will be allowed to stay inside the meeting hall to maintain discipline during CA proceedings.

As the CA logo is yet to be made, Speaker Nembang informed the parties’ representatives that the parliament secretariat will issue identity cards with photographs to all CA members for the time being. All CA members are required to obtain ID cards by May 26 and they must display them throughout the meeting.

None of the CA members and others will be allowed to carry weapons inside the CA meeting hall, and they will have to pass through a gate equipped with a metal detector before entering the hall.

The Speaker added that a CA member, who wants to take the oath of office and secrecy of the CA in her/his mother tongue, must submit the translated version of the Nepali text of the oath to the parliament secretariat by May 25.

“As the parliament secretariat is in no position to translate the Nepali text into other languages, I request the parties to cooperate with the secretariat by providing the translated versions of the Nepali text of the oath in their mother tongue,” Nembang said.

He said the Interim Procedure of Constituent Assembly Meeting will remain effective till the Constituent Assembly meet passes its regulations.

The Speaker also informed that the eldest member of the CA will chair the first meeting until CA chairman has been elected.

Nembang said the Interim Procedure of the CA Meeting will govern twin jobs of the CA: Making a new constitution and performing the job of the legislative body.

The meeting also discussed security arrangements on and around the ICC premises.

Home Minister Sitaula said the ICC premises and the area outside it should be declared a ‘Zone of Peace’, restricting rallies and processions on May 28, the day when the country will be officially declared a federal republic.

Leaders of other parties, however, said peaceful rallies and processions should be allowed at a certain area outside the ICC premises.