The committee drafting Nepal's interim constitution that will pave the way for rebel Maoists to join a power-sharing government has finally begun its work, an official said Thursday. The committee was supposed to start drafting the new document two weeks ago but was awaiting approval from government, which was considering increasing its size to nine people. In the end, the government decided to keep the committee at just six members, said Laxman Prasad Aryal, coordinator of the committee. "We were asked to start our formal work without inducting new members," he said, adding, "We received terms of reference from the talks team of the government and the Maoists (who) asked us to begin our work from Thursday." On June 16, the rebels and the recently reinstated government made a landmark power-sharing agreement that would see the rebels join an interim government after the interim constitution had been drafted. "The committee has been given a mandate to draft the interim constitution in the next 15 days and we are hopeful that it will be completed within the stipulated time," said Aryal, a former supreme court justice.
The interim constitution, he said, would clarify the position of the king, recommend an alternative body to parliament, and announce the date for constituent assembly elections. "Once the interim constitution is drafted it will be handed over to the government-Maoists talks team for approval," Aryal said.