KATHMANDU: The Constitution Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly on Sunday began the task of preparing the first draft of a new constitution.

CDC Chairman Krishna Prasad Sitaula said at the beginning of the panel’s meeting that the panel members would devote at least 8-10 hours daily to accomplish the task within 15 days as mandated by the CA full house.

Stating that the 16-point pact reached among the parties on June 8 has given parties the confidence to deliver the new constitution at the earliest, Sitaula said, “We, regardless of any particular party that we represent, have a major responsibility of accomplishing our task within 15 days and we will do it.”

The panel mandated its five sub-committees to insert the agreed upon issues in the draft of the new constitution as instructed by CA full house on Friday, said CDC member Krishna Bhakta Pokharel.

The five sub-panels – Preamble and definition sub-committee; fundamental rights, directive principles of state and commission-related sub-committee; judiciary sub-committee; legislature sub-committee and forms of governance sub-committee – have been instructed to table their reports before the main panel by Wednesday morning, according to panel secretary Ravi Sharma Aryal.

Immediately after the panel’s instruction, judiciary sub-committee met and discussed how and where to insert the provision of parliamentary judicial committee that will monitor the performance of justices, according to its member Krishna Bhakta Pokharel. How to present the provision of reappointment of chiefs and office bearers of constitutional bodies was also discussed, according to committee member Ram Narayan Bidari.

Members of the parties that opposed the 16-point pact also took part in the CDC meeting and put forth their views, according to CDC member Som Prasad Pande.

CA Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang said he was holding consultations with the leaders of political parties on suspending certain rules of the CA so that the CA could deliver the new constitution at the earliest.

It is yet to decide whether to have a calendar of operations passed by the CA or move the task ahead by reaching an understanding among the parties after the CDC tables its report. “I am holding consultations with the leaders of parties about the short-cut method and whether to bring calendar of operation formally,” Nembang said.