Aryal blames govt, Maoists for incomplete draft statute

Coordinator of the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee, Laxman Prasad Aryal, said here Sunday that the blame for an incomplete draft constitution goes to both the government and the Maoists for their indecision on contentious issues.

Speaking at a discussion program on Constituent Assembly and Electoral System organized by the Freedom Forum, an NGO working in the field of democracy, human rights, media freedom and development, Aryal argued that there was no agreement between the ruling Seven-Party Alliance and the Maoists - and without consensus, the full-fledged constitution couldn't be possible. "The people have started to pressurize the government," he said.

The draft constitution was submitted to the government and the Maoist negotiating teams on August 25, almost two-and-a-half months after formation of the committee, which was initially asked to submit the draft within two weeks. The delay was largely attributed to no-consensus between the government and the Maoists on major issues like interim parliament and interim government, among others.

Also speaking on the occasion, former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana criticized the government for "disowning" responsibility for the delay.