Maoist Chairman Dahal, who also heads the subcommittee formed under the Constitutional Committee (CC) of the Constituent Assembly (CA), at the outset of the meeting suggested to the members to air their views, if any, with regard to determining the system of governance in the new constitution.[break]
"If there is nothing significant to add, let´s make the discussion decisive particularly on the system of governance because the Business Advisory Committee has already suggested to us to resolve the remaining disputes by Wednesday," a member quoted Dahal as saying at the meeting. He was of the view that the members had already participated in several rounds of deliberations over the proposed models of system of governance and there was no need to repeat the same arguments.
But no sooner Dahal floated the proposal, than CPN-UML leader Nepal vehemently opposed the idea. While Nepal emphasized the need for expediting the task of integrating Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army -- the thorniest issue of the peace process -- prior to resolving key issues of constitution writing, Dahal was for taking ahead both the tasks simultaneously.
Dahal at the meeting tried to convince Nepal by saying that the peace process was making a steady progress. He said many of the cantonments are going to be vacated shortly as the Maoist combatants who opted for volunteer retirement have already been released from the cantonments. "Also, we are actively working to immediately start the tasks of integration. So it is injustice to accuse us of hindering the peace process," Dahal said at the meeting.
But Nepal was quick to counter Dahal, saying that they cannot trust the Maoist leaders anymore given their disappointing track record in implementing past agreements.
"We learnt a lesson after we blundered by going for CA polls while letting the Maoists keep their army intact. We have already burnt our fingers and we don´t want to repeat the same mistake," a participant quoted Nepal as saying. He reiterated that new constitution cannot be promulgated under the shadow of the gun.
But Dahal refuted Nepal´s claims saying that the Maoist combatants were camped inside the cantonments at the behest of then prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who also led the then seven-party alliance.
"It was not only the Maoist interest to camp the combatants inside the cantonments but Girijababu was the one who was for keeping the Maoist army intact fearing that then kings and royalists could take any move against the political parties," Dahal told Nepal, adding, "leaders like Madhavji, who are well aware of these issues, should not sensationalize such matters unnecessarily."
But Nepal wouldn´t stop to put counterargument. He claimed that the late Koirala, afterward, had admitted to him that it was a mistake to opt for CA polls while letting the Maoists keep their army intact.
Nepal also asked NC leader Paudel to speak without mincing words since the debate on constitution writing and the peace process was in the final stages. "Ram Chandraji was for diverting the discussion toward state restructuring issues saying Congress President Sushil Koirala was out of the town and the party was yet to take a final decision on the system of governance," said a leader.
But Nepal again sought answer from Paudel whether it was acceptable for the NC to decide the thorny issues in constitution writing before concluding the peace process. Then Paudel made it clear that NC wouldn´t be ready for that.
According to one participant, at one point, the discussions turned disappointing. "After many weeks, it was only yesterday [Sunday] that the leaders took up the thorny issues concerning system of governance and we felt encouraged, but today´s [Monday] meeting did not have the same focus and some of the members even said there was no point holding a CC meeting Tuesday if this scenario was to repeat itself."
But later at the same meeting, the leaders agreed to hold some rounds of inter-party meetings outside the CA because some of the top leaders such as NC President Koirala, Maoist Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya and CPN-UML leader K P Sharma Oli are not CA members.
Subcommittee member Agni Kharel of CPN-UML made it clear that the NC and his party are not for expediting the constitution drafting process without taking the peace process to an irreversible point. "The peace process reaches an irreversible point once the Maoist combatants opting for integration are brought under Nepal Army´s control and command," Kharel told Republica.
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