5 April, Kathmand : Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has intensified discussions to forge consensus at a time when the ruling parties are focused on following the majority constitution writing process while the opposition parties have announced agitation.
In this connection, the Prime Minister held separate discussions with Chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP)-Nepal, Kamal Thapa, and the Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal Chairman, Chitra Bahadur KC, at his official residence at Baluwatar today.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Koirala familiarized both leaders about the meeting held among the Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and fringe parties including the Rastriya Prajatantra Party on Saturday.
The Prime Minister said that they were ready to take the constitution writing ahead through process soon by continuing the talks and discussions for consensus, according to RPP-N Chair Thapa.
On the occasion, Thapa said that the RPP-Nepal would obstruct the Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting if the Questionnaire Committee formed to prepare questionnaire would not allow to raise the issues regarding secularism, republicanism and federalism.
In response, Prime Minister Koirala said that he would asked the concerned committee to reach an understanding so as to avoid any such obstruction.
Stating that the new constitution could not be promulgated by keeping the UCPN (Maoist), Madhes-based parties and RPP-Nepal aside, RPP-Nepal Chairman Thapa suggested to move ahead by formulating a new schedule of constitution writing by calling an all-party meeting of parties represented in the CA soon.
Similarly, Chairman of the Rastriya Janamorcha KC said that his party was in favour of forwarding the process immediately, as the country could not be kept hostage for an indefinite period in the name of consensus.
KC suggested that there was no alternative to promulgate the new constitution through process if consensus was not forged in this regard.
Claiming that the new constitution writing process has been obstructed due to the issue of federalism, he said it was appropriate to issue the new constitution by keeping the issue of federalism aside.
KC said politics of the country has now been visibly divided into two lines for lack of consensus among political parties on the contentious issues of the new constitution.
Different parties including the NC and CPN (UML) are in line of finalizing the contentious issues through process if consensus was not forged while the UCPN (Maoist)-led 30-Party Alliance has launched agitation exerting pressure for consensus arguing there was no alternative to it. RSS
