New constitution by May 28, 2010

The 14th session of the Constituent Assembly (CA) on Sunday has formally entered into the process making new constitution, which will be promulgated before May 28, 2010.

Earlier Sunday, the CA’s Working Management Committee representing all 25 parties approved the business schedule.  The CA Regulations, which was endorsed on Friday, has a provision of preparing a timetable to smoothly work on the process of drafting new constitution.

According to the schedule, the election to the post of vice-chairman of the CA will take place on November 28. The various 10 subject committees and election of chairmen of the respective panels will be completed by December 15.

The respective committee chairpersons will submit their work plans to the CA chairman by December 31.

According to the schedule, the 10 subject committees will collect opinions from civil society, experts and commoners to prepare concept papers of the constitution on their respective disciplines till February 26, 2009 based on which a preliminary draft of the constitution will be prepared by April 23. The concept papers and the preliminary draft of the constitution will then be discussed by the CA full House from April 24 to May 14.

The Constitutional Committee (CC) will prepare the first draft of the constitution and will table it at the CA by September 10 for discussions. After CA's final touch to the first draft, general public will be asked to share their views through public hearings, seminars and interactions on the draft till December 10 of 2009.

The public opinions report will be presented at the CA full House, which will again discuss the public reactions on first draft of constitution and will also revise the draft by January 22, 2010. The CA will hold discussion on Bill on Constitution till April 28.

According to schedule, the CA members can make amendments to the Bill on the constitution from March 2-8, 2010. The Bill will be discussed from March 9 to April 28, 2010.

The new constitution will then be finalised between April 29 and May 28, 2010. CA chairman will present the authenticated copy of the constitution to the President, who will release it in a special ceremony.

Calendar of events to draft new constitution
> Election for the Vice-chairman of the CA on November 28, 2008
> Committees to be formed by Dec 15, 2008
> Committees will submit work plan by Dec 31, 2008
> Public opinion will be carried out between Dec 30 to Feb 26, 2009
> Preliminary draft of the new constitution between Feb 26 to April 23, 2009
> CA will discuss on preliminary draft between April 24 to May 14, 2009
> CC will prepare first draft of the constitution between July 15 to August 9, 2009
> CC will table first draft before CA by Sept 10, 2009
> Work plan to collect public opinion of first draft between Sept 11 and 16, 2009
> Public opinions of the first draft of the constitution between Sept 17 to Dec 10, 2009
> Preparation of public opinions and presentation at the CA between Dec 11 to Jan 6, 2010
> Discussion of the public opinion at the CA between Jan 7 to Jan 21, 2010
> CC will revise the first draft between Jan 22 to Feb 22, 2010
> General and theoretical discussions at the CA between Feb 23 to March 1, 2010
> CA members can make amendments to the Bill on the constitution between March 2-8, 2010
> CA will discuss Bill on Constitution from March 9 to April 28, 2010
> New constitution will be promulgated between April 29 and May 28, 2010