Nepal's key parties today agreed to extend the tenure of the Constituent Assembly by three months in a last-minute deal under which Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal will step down for the formation of a national consensus government.
Averting a major Constitutional crisis, Nepal's key parties today agreed to extend the tenure of the Constituent Assembly by three months in a last-minute deal under which Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal will step down for the formation of a national consensus government.
The breakthrough came after overnight consultations between main political parties -- Nepali Congress, the Maoists and CPN-UML -- to forge a five-point agreement on the peace process and extending the term of Constituent Assembly which expired last night.
Out of 508 Parliament members, 504 lawmakers voted in the favour of the bill for 9th amendment of the Constitution seeking to extend the term of the Constituent Assembly for three months.
Khanal, who assumed the office about four months ago, offered to resign to pave way for formation of a national unity government and to start regrouping the Maoist combatants for the purpose of integration under the deal.
"The bill was endorsed by more than required two third majority vote," announced chairman of the Constituent Assembly Subhash Nemwang. However, the 71 lawmakers of Democratic Madhesi Front did not participate in the voting process saying that the major parties failed to address their three-point demands.
The agreement was reached in the wee hours after a marathon meeting between ruling CPN-UML leader and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Maoist chief Prachanda and Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala.
Last year also, Nepal had extended the term of Constitution Assembly by one year.
Meanwhile, Khanal said he will resign after an alternative is prepared for the formation of a national government.
"I will resign at a time when alternative is prepared for the national government and its formation is materialised," Prime Minister Khanal said.
He said that the peace process will go ahead to the logical conclusion within the stipulated timeframe of three months.
Maoist chairman Prachanda said they had worked hard expecting that the draft of the new constitution will come within three months.
The top leaders of the three parties have reached an understanding to lead the government turn by turn and after three months period a national consensus government may be formed under the leadership of Maoist chief Prachanda.
The five-point deal includes an agreement on extension the term of the Constituent Assembly by three months, to conclude the peace process that include handing over of Maoists arms and integration of the Maoist combatants and completing the first draft of the constitution within the extended period.
Ruling CPN-UML, Unified CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress have also agreed to address the demands put forth by the Madhesi Front without specifically mentioning the three-points raised by them. Their major demands include declaring the entire Madhes as an autonomous region and forming a separate unit in the national army with inclusion of 10,000 Madhesi youths.
The coalition government, which includes the CPN-UML and Maoist parties, earlier proposed a one-year extension, but was unable to secure enough votes to push it through the Parliament.
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