KATHMANDU, July 30

The Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee on Thrusday formed a five-member high-level special committee comprising top leaders of four major political parties to review the draft constitution by incorporating the feedback given by people.

The panel, comprising Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar and coordinated by CPDCC Chairman Baburam Bhattarai, is mandated to prepare a report by 3:00pm on August 1 and table the same at the CPDCC meeting. The CPDCC will go through the report before endorsing it by August 2.

“The special committee will identify the specific feedback that should be incorporated in the draft constitution. It will hold consultations with the leaders of parties within and outside the CA and concerned experts before finalising the report,” said Bhattarai.

After CPDCC members suggested in on Thrusday’s meeting that a separate committee should be formed to settle the issues in a short period, CPDCC Chairman Bhattarai paused the meeting and held a separate meeting with the four top leaders. The leaders agreed to Bhattarai’s proposal of forming a special committee comprising the top leaders. “The special committee was formed to address people’s aspirations expressed during the CA’s campaign to collect people’s feedback,” Bhattarai said.

During the CPDCC meeting, Oli said the new constitution should be promulgated by August 17. “Since it is not possible to incorporate all suggestions, we should try to incorporate the things that are possible to include,” Oli told the meeting.

Dahal suggested that the panel should anticipate the situation that might arise after the new constitution was promulgated while incorporating the feedback. NC leader Ramchandra Paudel said maximum possible feedback should be incorporated in the draft.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa and other members of the party expressed their discontent, saying the report of Committee on Citizen Relation and Public Opinion Collection did not incorporate people’s suggestions in an appropriate way.

Members of four Madhes-based dissident parties — Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, Sadbhawana Party and Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party — boycotted the CPDCC meeting after putting forth their views. They said they would not participate in the “drama” staged by some parties going against the Madhesi people’s wishes.