Dahal says he's very optimistic about CA revival

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal today said political parties would reach understanding on reviving the dissolved Constituent Assembly to promulgate the new constitution by Tihar, which falls on November 30.

Dahal said the next elections would be held under the new constitution, which would also resolve disputed issues, including those related to federalism.

He said this while talking to mediapersons at Tribhuvan International Airport upon arrival from a week-long visit to Belgium, where he addressed a meeting of the Nepali Diaspora and an informal talk programme, held by a member of the European Parliament from the UK.

Even as President Ram Baran Yadav ruled out revival of the dissolved CA, Dahal said a revived CA would adopt the new constitution incorporating the agreed issues and the parties would be free to go to the people making the unresolved issues their election agenda.

Talking about the President, Dahal said the former had clearly said that he “is not a Congress leader”. “What the President has talked about recently is a different issue,” Dahal said, adding: “I do not want to comment on it. As far as I understand, the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, they are ready to promulgate the new constitution through a revived CA on the basis of consensus.”

The parties may have made public their respective stances for public consumption, Dahal said, adding, “But the new constitution can be adopted by reinstating the dissolved CA.” He said it would be the best option to go for election by adopting the new constitution incorporating the agreed issues.

He expressed confidence that opposition parties would agree to revive the CA. “I cannot give you the exact date and time, but we will be able to bury our differences,” he said, adding that the parties were close to a deal.

Dwelling on the reported misunderstanding between the President and the Prime Minister, Dahal said he telephoned the latter from Belgium yesterday and he was informed that the country was moving towards consensus.

He said he would actively engage in talks with other parties to build national consensus.

During his visit to Europe, he assured European leaders and the Nepali Diaspora that the political deadlock wold end at the earliest and elections would be held.