Nepal in last ditch effort to avert crisis

Major parties in Nepal remained busy in last ditch efforts on Saturday to avert a constitutional crisis in case the new constitution isn’t promulgated within the May 27 deadline. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: May 26, 2012, 22:38:39 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Major parties in Nepal remained busy in last ditch efforts on Saturday to avert a constitutional crisis in case the new constitution isn’t promulgated within the May 27 deadline.

With barely hours left for the constituent assembly’s tenure to expire, Maoists, Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and Madhesi parties engaged in several rounds of meetings to reach consensus on issues.

Sharp differences among the major players on issues of restructuring the country into federal units and forms of government have affected the constitution drafting process.

If the parties fail to forge an agreement by Sunday midnight, the tenure of the CA would come to end and fresh elections may be needed to elect a new body to draft the statute.

On Saturday, the area near the CA building in Kathmandu remained tense with hundreds of demonstrators demonstrating for incorporation of single ethnicity based federalism in the new constitution.

Nearly 10,000 personnel from Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been deployed around the CA building and other sensitive spots in the capital in apprehensions of protests if the parties fail to meet the statute deadline.

Earlier this week, the government had tried to extend the deadline one more time by three months. But the Supreme Court scuttled the move.

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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