“As per the commitment to promulgate the new constitution, I take the responsibility on my part and apologise from my heart,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

“We were near consensus on key intricacies of the constitution but it’s sad to say that we could not conclude them on time. There are still chances of consensus and only a constitution drafted in accord will ensure lasting peace in the country,” he said.

He said the statute could be promulgated in consensus in a short-cut way and there should be no division between the forces who fought together for the latest political gains.