Despite fierce opposition from the UCPN (M)-led 30-party alliance, the Constituent Assembly formed a questionnaire committee to finalise the disputed issues of the constitution. Though the ruling coalition urged talks to be carried along with the Constituent Assembly procedures, the UCPN (M)-led alliance rejected the offer. The possibility of the ruling coalition and the opposition reaching an immediate agreement on the issues of the constitution became slim after being unsuccessful to keep the UCPN (M)-led alliance in the questionnaire committee and failure to send back the disputed issues to the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee.

Prime minister stunned
After the constitution was not promulgated on January 22 as scheduled, the government, Congress, and UML mainly blamed UCPN (M). The next day, in his address to the nation, Prime Minister Koirala said, ‘Instead of focusing on the discussions on the various alternative proposals to the disputed issues among the political parties in the Constituent Assembly, they arrived at the political conclusion that the constitution cannot be drafted through the Constituent Assembly and joined the alliances that adopted the alternative path of banda and protests, which was a serious blow to the constitution-drafting process. I am stunned on the attack on the hopes and trust of the people’.1 The prime minister’s remarks were aimed at UCPN (M). The prime minister did not admit his own shortcomings on the failure to draft the constitution. Instead, he accused UCPN (M) of trampling on the goodwill and attempts to keep the allies of the peaceful people’s movement together. He further said, ‘Our efforts to institutionalise the collective achievements together have been misconstrued as weaknesses to be used against us, which has made the constitution-drafting process a prisoner of indecision and confusion.

Chairperson of ruling coalition UML KP Sharma Oli said it was a big mistake to give the chairperson of the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee to UCPN (M) on trust. He said, ‘We have not committed any other mistake to not draft the constitution within January 22, and we should not have to ask forgiveness of the people for that. However, we committed a big blunder (by naming UCPN (M) leader Baburam Bhattarai to the chair of the Dialogue Committee).3 But UCPN (M) leader Baburam Bhattarai asked for forgiveness. Writing on social media Twitter, ‘For failing to draft a forward-looking constitution for the country within one year as committed by taking oaths in front of the people, I am ready to take my share of the blame and ask for deep forgiveness from my heart from the voters and respected general people.