Nepal parties agree on constitution deal
Nepal\'s ruling parties on Sunday reached an agreement on major contentious issues of the new constitution that will be promulgated by January next year.
Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and CPN-ML to sign the deal
Kathmandu: Nepal's ruling parties on Sunday reached an agreement on major contentious issues of the new constitution that will be promulgated by January next year. Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and CPN-ML agreed on the deal on matters relating to restructuring of state, forms of governance, judicial system and electoral system. A meeting of the ruling parties held at the Prime Minister's residence here also decided to draw a draft of the agreement on the four key issues and begin discussion with opposition parties including UCPN (Maoist) and Madhesh-based parties, according to Nepali Congress sources.
After the top leaders of the four ruling parties sign the deal it will be handed over to the chairman of the Constituent Assembly's constitutional-political dialogue committee Baburam Bhattarai, for promulgation of the Constitution by January 22, 2015 as per the agreed calendar. The four parties are said to have agreed to a six-province model for state restructuring, including four in the hills and two in the southern plains.
The naming and demarcation of the provinces will be done on the basis of identity and viability. As regards the forms of governance, the ruling alliance have agreed for a reformed parliamentary system including for the President and PM to be elected by parliament. There shall be a bicameral legislature in the centre with 75 members in the upper house and 175 in the lower house. The upper house will be elected through proportional representation voting system and the lower house through direct election or first-past-the-post system.
