Nepal’s three major political parties, who are seeking to reach a deal to extend the term of the Constituent Assembly beyond May 28, on Monday delayed a voting on a key bill to amend the constitution amid continuing deadlock.
Parliamentary Business Advisory Committee (PBAC) today postponed a meeting of the Parliament as per the recommendation made by the major three parties -- the prime minister’s Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), the Nepali Congress and the main Opposition Unified CPN-Maoist.
Accordingly, parliament’s sitting for Monday was postponed till Tuesday.
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Nepal’s ruling coalition last week introduced a bill in the 601-Assembly to extend the term of the House for one year so that it can finish the task of framing a new constitution.
Refusal
The CPN-Maoist party, with nearly 35 per cent of the parliamentary seats, have refused to cooperate in extending the Assembly till Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal steps down.
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Without the Maoists support, the ruling coalition would be unable to garner the two-thirds parliamentary vote required to get the proposal approved by the House.
A meeting of Unified CPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and UML on Monday decided to ask the Constituent Assembly chairman to postpone the voting on the bill, Ram Chandra Paudel, Nepali Congress leader, was quoted as saying in the media.
The Maoist party had registered a bill opposing the government’s decision to extend the term of the House.
The deadlocked leaders have underlined the need for a consensus rather than voting to deal with the extension of the House. They have decided to meet on Tuesday to forge a consensus on the issue.
Nepal’s smaller parties, including 10 members of the ruling coalition, have stepped up pressure on the government and the Maoists to end the standoff over the issue.
Separate meetings
Second largest party Nepali Congress, the CPN (UML) and the Maoists have held separate meetings with each other but were unable to reach an agreement amid its failure to promulgate a constitution as tasked by the landmark 2006 peace deal.
Nepali Congress is against linking the extension of the Assembly’s term to the Prime Minister’s resignation.
Instead they want the former rebels to first agree to implement past agreements, including an understanding on the number of combatants to be integrated and rehabilitated, return seized property, dissolve their paramilitary organisation in the Young Communist League and express commitment to a democratic, federal republic constitution.
Standoff
The standoff has put new stresses on Nepal’s reconciliation efforts amid fears that the stalled peace process may be derailed if the Maoists refuse to cooperate in extending the term of the Assembly, which is set to expire on Friday.
Political tensions have been high in Nepal since a government led by the Maoists resigned last year amid a dispute with President Ram Baran Yadav over the reinstatement of former army chief Rukmangad Katawal, who was dismissed by the Prachanda-led government in May 2009.