A taskforce formed by the party under UML standing committee member Bharat Mohan Adhikari to suggest a concrete proposal for forging national consensus on constitution-writing and the peace process put forward this proposal to the party´s ongoing central committee (CC) meeting Tuesday. UML formed the seven-member taskforce on Monday. [break]
The taskforce has said the mechanism shouldn´t deal with the prime minister as a member who can be called to its meetings as and when the mechanism needs him.
"If he [Nepal] can´t be inducted as a member of the mechanism due to his hierarchical position as the country´s executive prime minister, he should be given a status of permanent invitee member. He should regularly attend the meeting," Politburo member Bishnu Rimal, who is a member of the taskforce, told myrepublica.com. So far, only the chiefs of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are regularly attending the three-member mechanism, in which Nepal was later inducted as an invitee member.
The taskforce has said there are around 200 differences among the major political parties related to constitution-writing and the peace process. Among the contentious issues, the body has identified at least 12 major barriers including differences on state restructuring model, system of governance, separation of powers, land reform, citizenship and pluralism, as major disputes that need to be seriously discussed.
- Pinpoint 12 major differences among big parties
- Resolve Maoist fighters issue as per action plan of special committee
- Maoist-headed govt only after party´s transformation
- Forms 3-member panel for people´s campaign
"Pinpointing their attention on these agendas, the parties must now explain what their bottom-line on these issues is. Once they do that the constitution-writing process will be expedited," he said.
On Maoist combatants, the taskforce has suggested speeding up the integration, management and rehabilitation of the former rebel fighters as per the plan of action prepared by the government´s Special Committee formed for the purpose. Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had informed lawmakers in a parliamentary committee meeting that the government has prepared a 60-day plan of action on integration. He had also indicated the ruling parties´ plan to integrate around 3,000 combatants into the national security agencies.
On government leadership, the panel has claimed that once the main opposition UCPN (Maoist) party is transformed into a civilian political party the issue of who heads the government becomes insignificant. He said the UML is ready to accept the Maoist´s, the NC´s or any other party´s leadership of the government once the issue of Maoist fighters cantoned in UN-monitored camps and their weapons is resolved. "UML can´t agree on forming a Maoist-headed government while their arms and fighters remain intact inside the cantonments because the Maoists are not sincere about an early resolution of the issue," Rimal added.
UML leaders have been arguing that if the Maoist party had seriously wanted to resolve this matter, they would have done so when they headed the government. The erstwhile Maoist government was expected to resolve the matter within six months after the Constituent Assembly (CA) polls. The UML has also demanded that the Maoist disband the Young Communist League´s paramilitary structure and dismantle their people´s courts and other systems being run parallel to state organs.
After discussions on the proposal put forth by the taskforce, the CC meeting entrusted Pradip Gyawali and Rajendra Gautam with finalizing the draft, incorporating some feedback given by the members.
Meanwhile, the meeting decided to launch a three-month people´s campaign on constitution writing with a view to make people aware about the contents of the new statute. The party formed a three-member body to prepare an action plan for the campaign. Bishnu Rimal, Jagannath Khatiwada and Yogesh Bhattarai are members of the body.
thira@myrepublica.com
Related story
G20 Summit in New Delhi admits African Union as permanent membe...
