KATHMANDU, July 24

Following the overwhelming response of the public to the first draft of constitution, the four major parties, who signed the 16-point agreement, on Friday vowed to promulgate the new constitution by mid-August.

According to Unified CPN-Maoist Chief Whip Girirajmani Pokhrel, the top leaders of the four parties — Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN-Maoist and MJF-Democratic — on Friday decided to complete the constitution-drafting process by mid-August.

He said the parties were for addressing the people’s concerns expressed in the overwhelming response to the draft constitution in a positive manner.

Pokhrel said the parties had also agreed to intensify discussions and prepare new work plan and schedule to ensure new constitution by mid-August.

During on Friday’s meeting NC leaders had proposed to endorse the budget simultaneously with the constitution-drafting process which UCPN-M leaders objected to. “UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli also said first the constitution should be drafted,” Pokhrel said.

NC Chief Whip Chinkaji Shrestha, however, said endorsing the budget soon would help the nation focus on reconstruction works and that would also help NC to conduct its general convention.

The meeting held at Prime Minister Sushil Koirala’s official residence this evening also decided to hold consultations with CA Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang at 9:00am tomorrow to develop new work schedule to ensure constitution by mid-August.

Shrestha said the top leaders assessed the feedback on the draft constitution and decided to discuss the suggestions in the CA before sending them to the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee.

Although the 16-point pact that the four parties reached on June 8 had paved the way for the drafting of constitution, it has distanced the Madhes-based parties and those lobbying for the concerns of the indigenous nationalities.