Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Sunday formally invited Opposition alliance and other agitating represented in the Constituent Assembly (CA) to resume talks on the new Constitution.
Giving a preliminary reaction immediately afterwards, the UCPN (Maoist), termed the call for dialogue “vague”.
“I appeal to all the political parties represented in the Constituent Assembly and partners in the peace process and the People’s Movement to immediately sit for meaningful talks to forge consensus and understanding on promulgating the Constitution,” said a written statement from Mr. Koirala.
The Prime Minister also said that the “ongoing Constitution writing process should not be delayed any further.”
The PM’s formal call comes amidst a deadlock over the new statute. While the ruling parties — the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML — have initiated the process of deciding the disputes through voting in the CA, the Opposition alliance comprising of the UCPN (Maoist), Madhesi Morcha and fringe parties has announced a series of nationwide protest programmes against it.
Meanwhile, the Proposal Drafting Committee of the CA has prepared 234 questions on 103 subjects related to the Constitution. The questions, according to CA members involved in it, have been based on the report of the Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (PDCC) of the CA and suggestions and dissent from various political parties.