15-21 August 2014 #720

CA on track

Narayan Kafle in Naya Patrika, 13 August

The CA is still on schedule to finish writing the constitution by 22 January, but important and complicated subjects are yet to be discussed. The political dialogue committee of the CA has agreed on 48 points passed by the first CA and 18 former contentious points. One dispute about compulsory military training was resolved after the House agreed that the government could make it mandatory if the country needed it. There has also been agreements on the president’s role in removing obstacles, and about having two-tiered federal and central legislatures named ‘state parliament’ and ‘house of representatives’.

Although the UML raised objections in November 2013 to President Ram Baran Yadav continuing in office, the House also voted to extend the terms of President and Vice-President until elections under the new constitution are held. Of the 78 contentious issues that could not be agreed on in the first CA, only 25 remain.