By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Faced with the possibility of the constitution becoming null and void after midnight Saturday, the Nepal government put together a show of solidarity just hours before the deadline, promising parliament that it would hold the twice postponed election by mid-April.
Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, who is also Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s deputy, made an appearance in parliament Saturday more than three hours after it was to have convened, announcing that the ruling parties and the Maoists had agreed to hold the constituent assembly election in the Nepali month of Chaitra, which ends on April 12, and that the law ministry had registered a proposal at the parliament secretariat to amend the constitution accordingly.
The amendment of the new constitution became an issue of critical importance after the Koirala government failed to hold the election in November.
The statute decrees that the election would be held by the Nepali month of Mangsir, which ends Saturday. With the government neither holding the election on the stipulated date of Nov 22 nor amending the constitution soon after that, the statute was heading to become invalid after midnight.
However, there are still grave doubts as to whether the government violated the constitution by registering the amendment proposal at the 11th hour.
Also, the failure of the government to announce a fresh date even Saturday indicates that the fight with the Maoists over the rebels’ demands is still not over.
Nepal’s peace process received a blow in September after the Maoists walked out of the government, saying King Gyanendra should be sacked immediately to ensure free and fair polls.
They also demanded a fully proportional electoral method.
Though Koirala resisted both demands, the stalemate finally forced him to soften his stance.
Now the feuding sides have agreed that Nepal should be declared a republic. However, the royal family would be divested of their title only after the election.
Poudel also indicated that there is an initial agreement to increase the constituent assembly seats to 601. Of this, 335 seats will be elected using the proportional method, and 240 would be directly elected. The rest would be nominated.
However, this is the recommendation made by a task force comprising a member each from the seven parties Saturday.
The final endorsement would have to be made by the top leaders of the parties.
A fight is still raging between the Maoists and Koirala on the issue of reshuffling ministries.
As a precondition for returning to the government, the Maoists want Koirala, whose party holds the three key ministries of finance, home and defence, to surrender one to them.
However, the prime minister is opposed to the demand, which caused the delay Saturday.
The tension between the Maoists and Koirala continues and only time will tell if it would subside to allow the election to be held by mid-April.