Parties to adopt constitution within deadline

With just 80 days remaining for expiry of the deadline to adopt a new constitution, leaders of all 25 parties in Nepal parliament agreed on Tuesday not to delay the constitution drafting process.

Updated on: Mar 10, 2010, 01:43:54 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

With just 80 days remaining for expiry of the deadline to adopt a new constitution, leaders of all 25 parties in Nepal parliament agreed on Tuesday not to delay the constitution drafting process.

“This is a positive step. If we all agree on the major issues the new constitution will get adopted by the May 28 deadline,” said Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal after a meeting of the Constitutional panel.

On Sunday, chairman of Constituent Assembly Subhash Nembang said if the parties agree on the main issues, the country could adopt a concise statute instead of a detailed constitution to meet the deadline.

Political impasse due to differences within the major parties has led to delays in the constitution drafting process including the Constitution Committee failing to meet the March 5 deadline to submit the first draft.

Till date there have been 10 amendments to the constitution drafting calendar.

Opposition Maoists have also rejected the suggestion for a ‘concise statute’. “The constitution must be promulgated by May 28 and it should be a complete one,” said Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, chairman of UCPN (Maoist)—Nepal’s largest party.

Emerging from the panel meeting he said that the May 28 deadline can be met if there is a comprehensive debate on restructuring of the country and the system of governance to be adopted for the new states.

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

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.