At long last, there is a glimmer of hope: The parties have begun talks to end the current stalemate. Three major parties—Unified CPN (Maoist), UML and NC-- have met twice this week and have agreed to work out a joint resolution to end the House deadlock. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, the other day, in an exclusive interview with this newspaper, expressed confidence that the parties would succeed in finding a way out to the current impasse. Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, after returning from his Hong Kong trip, has also said that current impasse could be addressed by amending the interim constitution.
Despite hard rhetoric and belligerent public postures, Maoists seem to be carefully shifting their position toward cooperation, from confrontation. Consider the last few developments: They agreed to hold constitutional committee´s election in the CA; sent representatives to the reconstituted Special Committee on the Management, Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist Combatants; and have begun work to discharge disqualified PLA combatants. They are also trying to reach out to India and make up with the southern neighbor. Dr Baburam Bhattarai hired a helicopter and flew from Rolpa to meet Indian foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, when she visited Kathmandu early this week. Three other Maoist leaders, including Bhattrai´s wife, Hisila Yami, also lined up to meet Rao. Maoists have also broken the padlock that they had placed at the gate of the Pashupati Area Development Trust protesting the appointment of Indian priests. And Chairman Dahal is scheduled to visit New Delhi in a few weeks´ time.
If and when the parties will reach a final agreement is still unclear but a ground for it seems to have been prepared. The understanding among the major parties so far is to present a joint resolution in the House, the text of which is yet to be agreed upon. We encourage the parties to move ahead without wasting time, for we have already entered crunch time to draft the constitution within the deadline of May 2010. The interim constitution does not have a provision to extend the deadline, except for a case of national emergency. However, that doesn´t mean emergency can be imposed to give the CA another six months to finish constitution-writing. And any constitution written and promulgated under national emergency will itself be a bad omen for future. Therefore, the parties should not even think that as an option. If the parties sort out their differences -- a big if -- and focus on constitution-drafting day and night, it´s still possible to have new constitution on time. That will be a remarkable feat for the country to have a new constitution written within two years after overthrowing the 240-year old monarchy
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