Nepal leaders in emergency talks over constitution

Updated on: Jan 23, 2015, 01:45:26 IST

None | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Nepal’s tryst with a new constitution will have to wait some more time as the country’s lawmakers missed another deadline to promulgate the much-awaited document on Thursday.

With no solution in sight, leaders of ruling and opposition parties were busy holding consultations till late evening. They are expected to issue a joint statement saying sorry for missing the deadline and assuring Nepali citizens of promulgating the constitution soon.

Differences between ruling and opposition parties on types of government, judiciary, federalism and electoral systems and also whether the statute should be drafted through consensus or majority voting were reasons for failure. Earlier, proceedings of the constituent assembly, which had remained disrupted since Monday night following vandalism and scuffle by Maoist lawmakers with security personnel, remained affected on Thursday as well.

Sloganeering by opposition members forced Speaker Subhash Nemwang to postpone proceedings. His requests to members to let proceedings take place fell on deaf ears.

“The entire country and the world are looking at us. Even now we can talk and find consensus,” said Nemwang before postponing proceedings at 2:30 pm.

Opposition parties led by Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) want the constitution to be drafted through consensus while ruling parties, Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), are insisting that since efforts at consensus have failed it should be adopted through majority voting.

This is not the first time Nepal’s lawmakers have missed a constitution deadline. The country’s first constituent assembly (elected in 2008) was dissolved in May 2012 after it failed to draft a constitution.

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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