New Analysis: 16-point deal among political parties ensures promulgation of new constitution in Nepal

The 16-point deal hammered out among Nepal's major political parties on Monday night has ensured the promulgation of the new constitution in near future, cross party leaders told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Resolving the contentious issues to be adopted in the new constitution including federalism, Nepal's major parties, the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), the United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (Democratic) forged the crucial deal in view of producing the post-monarchy constitution within a few months.

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala who is also the president of the Nepali Congress, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal" Prachanda", CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli and MPRF (D) Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar signed the 16-point deal following rounds of talks.

As per the post-earthquake deal among Nepal's major parties, they have agreed to federate the Himalayan country into eight provinces on the basis of economic viability and identity through the new constitution. "The government will form a high-level commission within a six- month mandate to make decision over demarcation of the federal units," read the document reached among Nepal's top parties.

According to the suggestions made by the commission, the incumbent Constituent Assembly which would be turned to the Parliament after the new constitution will decide on the demarcation of the federal provinces with the two-thirds majority.

Talking to Xinhua, Vice-chairman of the UCPN (Maoist) Narayan KajiShrestha said "This is a major breakthrough in settling the key contentious issues of the new constitution among the major parties. This has paved the way for promulgating the new constitution within a few months".

According to the document signed between Nepal's major parties, provincial assemblies will finalize the names of provinces with the support of the two-thirds members.

The parties had remained at loggerheads over nomenclature and delineation of the federal provinces which led to the demise of the first Constituent Assembly formed in May 2012 without a new constitution.

This is the first time the Nepalese major parties have made a common position on federalism after formation of the 601-member first Constituent Assembly in 2008.

In terms of the system of governance to be adopted through the new constitution, the parties have agreed to go for a parliamentary system.

Meanwhile, the Nepalese parties are now ready to set up a bicameral parliament at the center and unicameral parliament in the federal provinces.

With regards to the judicial system, the parties have agreed to continue the existing judicial system with a separate Constitutional Court. "We are also ready to hold the local bodies' elections at the soonest," read the document.

Deputy General Secretary of CPN (UML) Bishnu Poudel termed the agreement among parties as "historic" to ensure the new constitution with the next few months.

At a time when Nepal is rising up from the great tragedy and heading toward rebuilding, this agreement between the parties has given a hope to the people, experts say.

Shyam Shrestha, a Kathmandu-based political analyst said that the new agreement forged among Nepalese parties is a major breakthrough to resolve the disputed issues relating to the new constitution. "Indeed this agreement has given a hope for promulgating of the consensus-based new constitution and moving forward for economic prosperity. But this is not enough."

He viewed that this agreement has not addressed the issues of the marginalized people who need more representation in the national politics.

A Central Committee Member of the Nepali Congress, DrPrakash Sharma Mahat, told Xinhua "The new agreement should be welcome wholeheartedly. But we have still many tasks to do for promulgating the new statute."

After holding the November 2013 second Constituent Assembly elections in the Himalayan nation, the parties formed the new CA in January 2014 and set the new deadline for drafting the new constitution within a year. Unfortunately, the parties missed the one-year self-imposed deadline in last January yet again due to differences on key issues of the new constitution including federalism. "We faced a devastating earthquake that claimed around 9,000 lives this year. The earthquake has brought hindrances in the path of development. But I believe we should take it as an opportunity for rebuilding. Moreover, the latest agreement between the parties has given a kind of hope for gaining political stability through new constitution," Janak Gautam, a Kathmandu-based entrepreneur, told Xinhua. Endi