The action-plan endorsed by the full House Constituent Assembly (CA) on Thursday will come into effect from Friday.

The CA has made an arrangement for the public to register their comments through online, fax and telephone numbers. Copies of the draft will be transported to rural areas for feedback.

As per the schedule, there will be two-day interaction programmes in each electoral constituency in the presence of lawmakers.

The action-plan has drawn criticism for allotting only two days for interaction, since they say the time is not enough to reach all of the public for opinion. Most of the 15 days announced for public opinion are set aside for technical and logistic issues.

Four Madhes-based parties objected the plan stating that two days are not enough for public discussion. The previous action plan which expired after the failure to promulgate the new constitution by January 22 had allocated a month for collecting public opinions.

Organising a press conference after CA endorsed the action-plan, Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairperson Subas Nembang appealed to the people to provide their feedback and opinions on the preliminary draft of the constitution.

“I want to assure people that the preliminary draft will incorporate suggestions provided by the public,” Nembang said, adding that the CA has already received several note of dissents and demands from several quarters. “The draft has been prepared on the basis of suggestions provided by the general public during the first CA. We will now change it according to the suggestions provided,” Nembang said.

Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal, Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Sadbhawana Party and Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party are against the draft constitution as well as the calendar. Despite their objection, the CA endorsed the plan of action. The four parties have 33 of the 601 CA seats in total. They recently boycotted deliberations on the preliminary draft of the constitution claiming that the statute should only be drafted after finalising the demarcation of federal provinces.

Sadbhawana Party leader Laxman Lal Karna accused that the CA has breached all the due process of constitution drafting.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, which has 25 seats in the CA, echoed the four parties’ statement. The party stood against the action-plan when Nembang presented it for final approval.

The CA meeting has been postponed indefinitely. According to Nembang, the next CA meeting will take place after the committee prepares a final report after collecting public feedback.

Timeline

- July 8: Publication of preliminary draft in Nepal Gazette

- July 9: CA Chair appeals public for feedback

- July 10: Publication of Preliminary Draft of Constitution in Gorkhapatra and publication of copies

- July 10: Dispatching CA Secretariat officials at 240 electoral constituencies with a copy of draft, separate copy that contains main features of constitution and other materials

- July 10: Organising a press conference by committee to disseminate draft of constitution

- July 11-14: Organising interactions on preliminary draft of constitution in Kathmandu valley among various professional organisations

- July 17 onwards: CA members to go to electoral constituencies to hold interaction with the public

- July 23: Submission of report by committee to the full CA House.

Action Plan

-People can post their opinion on www.can.gov.np/draft or people can email at [email protected]

- There will be regular publication and broadcasting of draft constitution from Thursday

- There will be interaction at valley from Saturday to Monday on draft of constitution - CA members to visit 240 electoral constituencies from July 17

- There will be public hearing in all electoral constituencies