I would move ahead on the basis of the normal process if parties failed to forge consensus-CA Chairman

KATHMANDU, Jan 15: The Constituent Assembly (CA) chairman Subas Chandra Nembang has urged the political parties to forge consensus, saying the new constitution could still be issued on the stipulated date of January 22 if the agree on the contents and the process of constitution.

Talking to journalists after receiving a memorandum submitted by Reporters Club Nepal at his official residence at Baluwatar Thursday, he asked parties to pay attention to the possibility of issuing the new constitution within the next seven days as this was feasible by suspending the existing process on the basis of consensus.

He made it clear that he would move ahead on the basis of the normal process if parties failed to forge consensus. “I will follow the stipulated process of the constitution writing if consensus is not reached; in this case constitution cannot be issued in the next seven days,” he explained.

CA chairman Nembang said he shared this view with the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief Whips of the political parties, stressing on ending the lack of communication among the parties.

Stating that this lack of communication among the parties when the differences among them have nearly been resolved was not in the interest of the country and the people, he said he has asked the leaders of all the political parties to sit for talks.

The CA chairman urged the parties to fulfill the commitments they have made to the people time and again, calling on them to walk the talk.

Referring to the abstention of the alliance led by the UCPN (Maoist) in the CA meeting on Monday, he said they had not boycotted the CA but rather remained absent.

“They had asked me to postpone the CA meeting that day, but abstained from it when it was not put off as per their request; this is not boycott, they will be present on Friday´s meeting,” he said.