Nepal Constituent Assembly nearing deadline to finalise constitution

Kathmandu, Feb 9 (ANI): With the Nepal Constituent Assembly nearing the deadline of March 5 to finalise the constitution of the country, debate has already started over the need to extend the final date for finalizing the draft.

The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik chairman Bijay Kumar Gachhadar today said that the term of the Constituent Assembly should not be extended.

Speaking at a press meet here, Gachhadar said the major parties should not allow extension of the term.

According to Kantipur, he said the new constitution can be drafted within eight to ten days if the UCPN (Maoist), the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML forges consensus.

He also claimed that the High Level Political Mechanism is unconstitutional.

"The mechanism has been formed to topple the government, so, he doesn't believe in it's procedure," he added

The Constitutional Committee (CC) of the Constituent Assembly on Monday said the committee can't meet the March 5 deadline for preparation of the first draft of the constitution under the present circumstances.

The committee was assigned to prepare the preliminary draft of the constitution based on the CA's recommendations and directives to the 11 thematic committees that drafted the concept papers.

The Constitutional Committee has decided to urge CA Chairman Subas Nembang to extend the deadline for preparation of the first draft of the constitution.

The Constitutional Committee was supposed to receive the concept papers of all the 11 committees with the CA's recommendations and directives on February 4, but with political parties deeply divided on crucial issues, the deadline couldn't be met.

The Constituent Assembly has already amended its schedule for the ninth time without changing the May 28, 2010 deadline for promulgation of the constitution. (ANI)