Down to wire

Things have come down to the wire on constitution writing. A misstep from this point onwards can potentially lead us into a situation from where promulgation of the constitution by May 27 becomes impossible. Since the Supreme Court has effectively struck down all attempts to extend the current CA deadline, illegitimate as such attempts were, the CA and particularly the top political leaders, should now measure their every step and count every hour at their disposal so that we absolutely do not miss that deadline.



Promulgation of the constitution through the CA would be a true tribute to the relentless struggles of generations of Nepalis to institutionalize democracy, a dream that has been passed on from one generation to another ever since the overthrow of the Rana oligarchy in 1951. As the momentous day of May 27 approaches, we remain hopeful the leaders will seize the opportunity and take this country into another era—an era of irreversible democracy and marked prosperity.



As lofty as the rewards of promulgating the constitution in time are, so are the challenges of meeting a deadline now set in stone. Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang on Thursday reminded the top leaders of the enormity of those challenges, and the role they should play to get the job done. Speaking at the Business Advisory Committee of the CA, Nembang told them that they must resolve all their differences by April 17 through dialogue at the Constitutional Committee and Dispute Resolution Sub-Committee, and if they fail to do so, such disputes should be resolved through voting in the subsequent two days.



Each of the leaders present at the meeting is said to have agreed to the proposed timeline. The question, however, is not about agreement; it’s about seriousness in implementation. Several such timelines have been flouted in the past and deadlines missed. As this is the last chance to save the CA process, we hope they will act differently this time, and decisively.



The coming week is likely to be a defining one in Nepal’s politics. It will be the beginning of the end of the integration process as the remaining PLA combatants either choose to retire voluntarily or join the Nepal Army. Once the cantonments are vacated and the weapons handed over to the government, the level of confidence among leaders will surge markedly. Negotiations on the thorny issues of the constitution will still be difficult and emotionally charged, but the trust factor will have risen to a new level, perhaps heightening the consciousness that will be necessary to reach a compromise.



The only risk is that the political parties’ chronic habit of postponing everything till the last minute could give rise to miscalculations about the time available. It would be wise to allow some margin for the unforeseen and try to finalize the constitution at least two weeks ahead of the deadline. The country cannot afford any missteps and miscalculations now.

Related story

Couple electrocuted by elephant-deterrent power line