By Martin Hacthoun, Prensa Latina,
New Delhi : The Nepalese people is expected to open a new chapter in the history of their country this week, when the Constituent Assembly will hold its first session on May 28, thus abolishing a 240-year-old monarchy.
Almost everything is set for the 601-member Parliament, with CPN-M (Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist) majority, to declare Nepal a Federal Democratic Republic.
However, the 26 members to be appointed by Acting Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala are yet to be defined, a task currently in the hands of the three main parties: CPN-M, NC (the Nepalese Congress) and the CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist).
The three groups did reached consensus in appointing, among the 26 deputies, at least 10 representatives of indigenous tribal communities which failed to win posts in CA elections and the other 16 will be experts in constitutional matters.
On May 27, all CA members, including those appointed for the Cabinet, will be put on oath at a ceremony presided over by the eldest deputy of the assembly, who will also preside over the plenary until its president and vice president are elected.
The formation of a coalition Cabinet, as proposed by Maoists, is another thorny issue on which no consensus has been reached so far, with NC and CPN-UML demanding the inclusion of a constitutional amendment allowing for the formation or dismissal of government by simple majority rather than a two-third majority.
In a race against time, the three parties must reach consensus on the formation of government before the oath-taking ceremony of CA members. CPN-M is expected to make a proposal in this regard on Monday.