Nepal parties get more time to resolve constitution stalemate

With parties failing to reach any agreement on the stalemate over the new constitution, chief of Nepal's constituent assembly has given them more time to arrive at consensus.

Updated on: Mar 25, 2015, 18:22:05 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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With parties failing to reach any agreement on the stalemate over the new constitution, chief of Nepal's constituent assembly has given them more time to arrive at consensus.

Chairman of the assembly Subhash Nemwang on Wednesday gave both the ruling and opposition parties time till 5 pm on March 29 to forge a deal or else the process to draft the statute will move forward.

"If they fail to arrive at an agreement on the disputed issues of the constitution within that time I am ready to go ahead with the process (to draft the constitution through majority voting)," he told journalists.

Last week Nemwang had set March 25 as deadline to resolve the logjam, but with no meaningful discussions taking place between both sides the date passed without reaching any solution.

Ruling parties and the Maoist-led opposition in Nepal are at loggerheads over the issue of federalism in the new constitution.

While the 30-party opposition alliance wants identity-based federal states, the ruling parties are against it. Differences over the key issue led to lawmakers missing a constitution drafting deadline in January 22 this year.

Negotiations have failed to make headway and the opposition alliance of 30-parties has announced fresh protests beginning March 25 which will end with a three-day nationwide strike on April 9.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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