'Timely statute at any cost'

TIKA R PRADHAN

KATHMANDU: Standing committee meeting of the Unified CPN Maoists close to the establishment faction led by chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai today decided to draft new constitution within stipulated time at any cost.

The meeting held at the office of CPN-M parliamentary party in Singha Durbar decided to find consensus on the proposed 11-pra-desh model of federalism.

“Let alone extending the term of the CA, UCPN Maoist cannot even think of extension,” claimed Dinanath Sharma adding that the party was for promulgating the constitution in whatever way possible within the scheduled time. Meanwhile, Dahal consulted with the CA members of the party who have been leading the ethnic and regional fronts of the party.

During the meeting, the CA members have collectively entrusted the party leadership to forge consensus on the remaining issues of the new constitution, according to Sharma.

Sharma further said Dahal had briefed the CA members about the latest political developments and the issues on which the parties were inching closer. He said the party was for forging consensus of unresolved issues because it was very difficult and time consuming to finalise the issues through the existing constitutional procedures.

Former CA member Ram Kumar Sharma, however, said he had opposed the idea of 11-pradesh model claiming it was a ploy to divide the Madhesi people.

Commenting on the objection of Madhesi leaders Sharma claimed that the party would never take decision hurting the people of Madhes, which will affect the party.

Hardliners’ memo to CA chair

KATHMANDU: The United National People’s Movement Committee (UNPMC), Nepal led by hardliner Maoist secretary C P Gajurel today handed over a memorandum to CA chair Subash Nembang at his office in Singha Durbar. Handing over a memorandum with 21-point demands to Nembang the UNPMC has threatened to revolt against the state and the parties and the government would be held responsible for any untoward consequences that the country has to face. The Committee has also claimed that the leaders of the parties took over the tasks of the CA members in the name of ‘dispute resolution sub-committee’ and misused a very long time meant to draft new constitution. Gajurel said the committee has demanded a pro-people constitution ensuring the issue like national sovereignty and independence among others.