The question aimed at former chairman of the dissolved CA Subas Chandra Nembang received a round of applause from participants at a public interaction on the outstanding issues of the new constitution. [break]
Nembang’s childhood chum Punya Sibakoti was asking him about his aborted role in the CA. “You people failed to show the competence to be called leaders,” Siwakoti added.
Nembang, who was in his home district for the first time since the CA dissolution, to participate in the interaction organized by Nepal Law Society and the Constitution Information Center in Ilam, had to face a volley of questions from childhood friends and other participants.
Public dissatisfaction over the CA failure has reached such an extent that the participants even reminded Nembang about the repeated incidents of slapping of political leaders. “The Nepali people have been facing the consequence of your incompetence,” they said, coming down heavily on Nembang.
Another participant, Ashok Kumar Bantawa, joined in, “Nepali people would have gotten the new constitution on the date due had you played a stronger role in the CA. But why did it not happen? Who created the obstacle?”
Homnath Dulal of Nepali Congress, Somnath Bastola of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, lawyer Hiranya Adhikari and Lata Poudel asked the same question: “Is a new constitution really coming or you still out to bamboozle the people?”
The disgruntled participants subjected Nembang to a veritable fusillade of questions laced with allegations: “Do you want an identity-based federal system or not?”, “You used to say the consitution would be delivered on time, where is it now?”, “What is the guarantee that the new constitution will be promulgated the next time?”, “What do you say about people pointing you out as the main person behind the CA failure?” He listened in a serious mood and tried to defend himself as wittily as he could.
“I beg pardom from not only my fellow-district denizens but from all Nepali citizens for letting them down over promulgation of a new constitution,” Nembang began. “The adamant attitude of the political parties even when the CA deadline was near contributed 99 percent to the failure,” he added.
Stating that he was helpless and in no position to express his personal opinion as CA chairman, Nembang said there was no alternative of consensus among the parties to bail the country out of the deadlock.
Related story
Last rites of Constituent Assembly Chair Nembang performed with...
