The Questionnaire Committee’s sub-panel today prepared questionnaires on five unresolved issues to settle them through voting.

The questionnaire drafting sub-panel headed by Agni Kharel forwarded questions related to Preamble, unamendable issues of the new statute and fundamental rights to the main committee, while it prepared more questions on two other issues – legislature and constitutional bodies – in the evening. The questionnaire on the two issues will be forwarded to the main committee tomorrow, according to sub-panel member Ramesh Lekhak.

Although most of the issues were already agreed upon among the major parties informally, they will be put to vote, as neither the first nor the second CA had formally decided on them, said Lekhak.

Some of the agendas, such as “not including pluralism” in the preamble were rejected by the concerned thematic committee of the first CA. Such agendas will be put to vote, according to Lekhak.

The sub-panel is yet to work on the three most disputed issues – federalism, forms of governance and judicial system. “As these are the most pressing issues and parties have different opinions on them, there could be dozens of questions on them. So, it is unlikely the panel will accomplish its task by tomorrow and the panel will need more time,” Lekhak said.

The CA meeting slated for Thursday is likely to extend the panel’s date by five more days, according to CA sources.

Meanwhile, CA Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang today reiterated that the ongoing process of the Questionnaire Committee could be halted if the parties reached consensus on the disputed issues. “Although the process is going on, door to forge consensus is open. I request agitating parties to either make attempts to forge consensus or join the ongoing process,” Nembang told reporters.

What will be put to vote

1. Contents of Preamble

• Whether to mention “Maoist people’s movement” or not

• Whether to mention “pluralism” or “people’s” and “proportional inclusive”

• Whether to mention definition of using methods and do’s and don’ts of the right to self determination

2. Whether to include the following issues as unamendable provisions

a. sovereignty

b. national independence

c. federalism

d. pluralism

e. secularism

f. local autonomy and self governance

g. proportional inclusive

h. pre-emptive right of indigenous nationalities

3. Fundamental rights

• Whether to add pre-emptive right of indigenous and local community on land and natural resources as fundamental right

4. Legislature

a. Which of the election systems – FPTP, PR, mixed (FPTP+PR) or mixed member proportional representation – to adopt

b. How many members (151 to 240) should there be in the lower house of the parliament

c. How many members should there be in the upper house

d. What should be the names of state assemblies

e. What should be the percentage (many options) of FPTP and PR if mixed election system was adopted

f. What should be the electoral system of the state assemblies

g. What should be the number (20 to 50) of members of state assemblies

5. Constitutional bodies

a. How many constitutional bodies should there be and what will they be

b. Various options of structures of constitutional bodies at provincial level