Nepal’s leaders battle to avert political crisis

Nepal continued to wait with baited breath as ruling parties and opposition Maoists remained deadlocked on extending the Constituent Assembly’s tenure to enable drafting of the new constitution.

Updated on: May 29, 2010, 01:03:51 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Nepal continued to wait with baited breath as ruling parties and opposition Maoists remained deadlocked on extending the Constituent Assembly’s tenure to enable drafting of the new constitution.

The CA tenure ends on Friday midnight. And if it doesn’t get extended within that deadline the country will plunge into constitutional and political crisis.

Hectic parleys and last minute lobbying continued since morning to find a way out of the impending crisis but both the ruling parties and the opposition Maoists refused to budge from their stands.

Maoists refused to support the motion to extend the CA tenure till Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal was removed and the ruling parties refused to accede to such pre-conditions. Maoist leadership issued a whip to its members asking them to vote against the motion if their demand was not met. “We will prefer to stay outside than bow down,” said Maoist spokesperson Dinanath Sharma. Support of Maoists who have 40 percent representation in CA is crucial as a two-third majority vote is needed to amend the interim constitution and extend its tenure to speed up constitution drafting.

“If it doesn’t happen CA ceases to exist from Friday midnight and the government becomes non-functional. An interim government is likely to take over till the next election,” said CA Chairman Subhash Nemwang.

Set up two years ago following a historic election at the end of a civil war, the CA was to formulate a permanent constitution for Nepal. But political deadlock over the past year prevented it from happening.

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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