Nepal may miss new constitution deadline

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is concerned that there is no agreement on key issues about Nepal's future despite a fast-approaching May 28 deadline. He alluded to the bickering between the different parties in parliament which has until Saturday to complete its constitutional work.

"There is still no agreement on the important issues that divide the parties, namely on the integration and rehabilitation of former Maoist combatants and key aspects of the constitution," said Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky.

Nesirky said the UN chief had recently discussed the situation with Nepal’s Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal and urged all key Nepali officials "to show the leadership necessary to keep the peace and draft a new constitution."

"The secretary general underlines that it is now more than ever incumbent upon the key political actors to show leadership and carry out the necessary compromises to preserve the peace process and complete the drafting of the new constitution" Nesirky added.

Political stalemate continues

UN Under-Secretary-General B. Lynn Pascoe also spoke by telephone with the leaders of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) and the Nepali Congress (NC) to press for progress and urged both sides to "act effectively at this critical juncture."

The writing of a new constitution is considered a key part of the country's transition from monarchy to democracy. Nepal’s parliament, known as the Constituent Assembly, had been originally elected with a two-year mandate which was to end on May 28, 2010.

The political deadlock in the Maoist-dominated house resulted in a one-year extension but no progress has been made so far.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) earlier said that disagreements have persisted on how to integrate the thousands of former Maoist fighters living in camps around the country into the security forces. ICG’s senior analyst Anagha Neelakantan told AFP that the key issues have been reduced to bargaining chips in the ongoing power struggle between the political parties.

"Visible progress is needed to reassure the fractured polity and public that the task of transforming the state has not been abandoned," Neelakantan added.

Ban Ki-moon has warned that Nepal's peace process is at risk if the country's rival leaders do not meet the looming deadline to agree on a new constitution.

Author: Sherpem Sherpa (AP, AFP, dpa)
Editor: Sarah Berning