Nepal's ruling, opposition parties head towards confrontation ahead of deadline

As the deadline of drafting a new constitution draws closer in Nepal, ruling and opposition parties are heading towards confrontation, strangling chances of a new constitution, cross-party leaders said on Tuesday.

The opposition parties have announced nation-wide strike, while ruling parties are preparing to move ahead on the basis of two- third majority in the House. The opposition parties UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties on Tuesday for the first time boycotted the meeting of Constituent Assembly (CA).

The police are arresting dozens of opposition cadres from the street which has further soured the relationship between ruling and opposition parties ahead of the statute deadline. The opposition parties said they have requested to postpone the CA meeting for one day but ruling parties unilaterally moved ahead.

Even in the absence of those parties, CA Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang held the meeting of CA.

Earlier; parties have pledged that they would deliver a new constitution by January 22, 2015. Now that seemed impossible.

Both ruling and opposition parties are engaged in a blame-game. The key issues, namely federalism, forms of government, judiciary and electoral system are the core bone of contention of the new constitution.

The next meeting of the CA is scheduled for Thursday, and there are great chances of confrontations between ruling and opposition parties. The ruling parties have collected the signature of majority CA members and preparing to table a proposal demanding to prepare a preliminary draft of new constitution.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have already said that they would obstruct the House session.

If a new constitution fails to be delivered by Jan. 22, Nepal will face another round of crisis. In November 2013, Nepal held the second CA election after the first CA elected in 2008 dissolved in 2012 without delivering a new constitution. Endi