Nepal's CA chief warns to initiate voting process on statute drafting

Chief of Nepal's Constituent Assembly (CA) Subas Nembang on Friday warned to initiate a voting process on contentious issues of new constitution if parties fail to forge consensus within a couple of days.

He made the statement which addressing the CA meeting amid the disruption by opposition parties.

Nembang said CA should not remain in deadlock for the long period.

The chief said the next meeting scheduled for Sunday will start the process.

In the next meeting, Nembang is likely to table a proposal for the formation of a questionnaire committee with the purpose of settling disputed issues through a voting process after parties failed to sort the disputed issues through consensus.

The CA process has been stalled since Tuesday after opposition parties obstructed the House to block the proposal of forming a questionnaire committee to initiate voting process on federalism, form of government, judiciary and electoral system. Ruling parties are pressing him to start the voting process despite the objection from the opposition parties.

But the CA meeting he clearly indicated that process will begin. "It is necessary to resume the House sessions to kick start the statute drafting process. From the next meeting, it will move head, " said Nembang.

The opposition parties have said that they will continue to obstruct the House session.

Nepal's parties missed the January 22 deadline of constitution promulgation due to the serious differences on some outstanding issues of the new constitution. After missing the deadline, parties have not come up with a new calendar of constitution drafting. Endi