A meeting of Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee of Constituent Assembly (CA) today decided to settle contentious issues of new constitution by September 6, according to the deadline fixed by the CA calendar.

However, three major political parties including Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN-Maoist are yet to start agenda-based discussions on key issues of the constitution, apart from formation of High-level Political Committee that has spoiled the dialogue among the political parties.

The political parties will have to settle federalism, forms of governance, judiciary and electoral system – by September 6 – to start constitution drafting.

There has been polarisation among the political parties as the ruling coalition – Nepali Congress and CPN-UML – is on one side and opposition UCPN-Maoist and Madhes-based parties are on the other.

The committee – chaired by UCPN-Maoist leader and CA member Dr Baburam Bhattarai – has also decided to submit reports to the CA on the agreed issues.

The committee can submit partial reports on which the CA will initiate further discussions, according to the regulation.

The Dialogue Committee has already taken ownership of the decisions taken by the Constitutional Committee of the first CA and also the consensus forged by Dispute Resolution Subcommittee headed by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.

The agreements finalised in the committees of the first CA have been discussed in the Assembly and forwarded to the Drafting Committee.

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