KATHMANDU: The Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee of the Constituent Assembly today tabled its report at the CA full house, clearing the way for preparing the first draft of the new constitution.

Since the full house has the necessary strength to support the draft, as it is backed by major political parties, the CA will forward the document to the Constitution Drafting Committee with a mandate of preparing the first draft of the new constitution within 15 days.

“As it is the document of consensus tabled by the CPDCC, the full house will forward it to CDC by tomorrow or day after tomorrow after holding one round of discussion,” CA Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang told THT after today’s CA meeting.

CPDCC Chairman Baburam Bhattarai said while tabling the report that the consensus document, despite reservations from some quarters, would ensure delivering of the new constitution through consensus.

Earlier, a sub-panel of the CPDCC headed by NC leader Purna Bahadur Khadka settled many disputed issues amid reservations of some parties on certain issues. Most of the issues were already agreed upon during the pact reached among four key parties on June 8, while others were settled yesterday and today. After CPDCC endorsed its report unanimously, it was tabled at the CA that met after a delay of six and a half hours.

Altogether 15 opinions registered by parties or individual CA members at CPDCC are also attached in its report.

Key features

•    Eight-state federal model

•    State assembly to determine the state’s name by two-third majority

•    Federal commission to recommend boundaries of the states and Parliament to decide it through two-third majority

•    All issues, except Nepal’s independence, sovereignty, geographic integrity and sovereignty vested in people, will be amendable

•    Two-third majority of Parliament will have to decide on sending a fundamental issue mentioned in the Preamble for amending it through referendum

•    Lower House to have 275 members — 165 FPTP and 110 PR

•    Upper House to have 45 members equally divided among eight states, with five nominated by the Cabinet

•    Electoral College comprising members of state assembly and chiefs of local bodies to elect 40 members of the Upper House

•    A state assembly to have 21-45 members on the basis of population and territory as per federal commission’s report

•    A state assembly to have five-year term (one year can be added in state of emergency)

•    Children of a Nepali citizen who is married to a foreign national will get citizenship

certificate by producing proof that the parents are living permanently in Nepal and one of them was Nepali citizen during the time of giving birth to the child

•    Multi-party democracy inserted in Preamble

•    Constitutional Court to have a 10-year term to look into disputes between centre and states, among states and local bodies

•    President to be elected for a five-year term by an electoral college comprising all

members of the Upper and Lower Houses and members of state assemblies

•    A person can become President only for two terms

•    Vote of no-confidence motion will not be introduced against a PM for the first two years of his/her election and for additional one year if such a motion is rejected once

•    PM will have to show majority within 30 days even before two years if the PM’s

party splits or a question is raised against him/her with concrete basis