KIRAN PANDAY

It's been six months since they started work, but of the 11 committees of the Constituent Assembly only 6 have submitted their drafts to the Chairperson. The 5 remaining committees have been given until mid-December to complete their drafts. With the amendments of September 9, the constitution-writing timetable has now been revised 6 times.

Disagreements along party, ethnic, linguistic and regional lines in the committees responsible for state restructuring and distribution of rights have made it unlikely the constitution will be written on time. The most disappointing thing is the lack of constructive dialogue on the part of the leaders of the big three, the Maoists, the Nepali Congress and the UML. Regardless, the goal of completing the constitution by 28 May 2010 remains intact. This has further confused people.

When she heard the news that the constitution-writing timetable had been adjusted for the sixth time, a housewife had this to say:

"I am building a house. Making a constitution is also like building a house. Since one brick has to be laid over the other it takes time to build a house, you can't just erect it overnight. It takes time simply for the foundations to solidify. But these people, in the past year, have not even gotten to the blueprint for their house; they haven't dug the foundations, they don't even know where the bricks and the sand are. So how will their house be built within the deadline they've set themselves? Or is it going to be like a house from one of Birbal's stories?"

The truth is, the Constituent Assembly's neglect of its work and the behaviour of the political parties have completely confounded the public. Can they trust the politicians, should they hope, and do they have any other choice but to do so?