CONSTITUTION BEING ASSEMBLED IN HASTE TO MEET HSTE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF PEOPLE IN TRANSPARENT MANNER Kathmandu, 16 March: An agreement to launch 11 provinces hurriedly has already encountered problems with no endorsement from Madeshibadi parties in government. People have come out in protests even without the ink dry on an agreement between the Big Three only on launching the nameless provinces which will be named with boundaries by a commission later. The cart was put before the horse. People and indeed members of parties don’t know how the agreement was reached amid proud claims the people are for the first time writing a constitution. A select group of leaders of UCPN Maoist, UM and UML have attempted to put together a constitution to be approved by a constituent assembly that last completed its two-year elected tenure two years ago. Power is being shared by a directly elected president and an indirectly elected more powerful prime minister; this will cause friction between the head of state who is popularly elected and an indirectly elected more powerful government chief. The arrangement has been made as a compromise to please Maoists pushing a French-style presidential system. The mixed system is being experimented amid opposition to direct royal rule four years slapped by King Gyanendra. Parties themselves are laying seeds of instability and uncertainty. A constitution should be a clear document. There’s nothing clear and short about a proposed constitution that is being rushed hurriedly probably with the full knowledge of Indian Ambassador Jayant Prasad who was privy to discussions of parties and not Nepali people. nnnnn .