Top coalition partners CPN (Maoist) and CPN (UML) have expressed strong objection to Vice President Parmananda Jha’s remarks on Wednesday dubbing the army integration special committee as unconstitutional.

While describing the committee headed by Deputy Prime Minster and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam as ‘unconstitutional’, VP Jha also appeared to suggest that the political parties were to be blamed for the delay in constitution writing process.

A meeting of joint panel of the two parties formed to improve ties between the two communist parties held in the capital Thursday concluded the Vice President’s views as “unconstitutional”.

The two-party panel has also decided to request Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to seek an explanation from Jha for the remarks.

After the meeting held at the UML parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar, former UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said VP Jha’s remarks were “objectionable”.

Maoist leader Barsha Man Pun, who is also a member of the two-party committee, said that PM Dahal will talk with VP Jha on the matter.

Meanwhile, in the meeting the two coalition partners also agreed to make major changes in the constitution and structure of the special committee on army integration.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, UML leader Bhim Rawal said that there would be some reshuffling in the committee on army integration to ensure the participation of Nepali Congress in it.

He said there would be a thorough discussion on this issue at the top level of the two parties.

The two parties decided to reconstitute the committee while keeping its work area intact after NC decided not to participate in it saying that it was formed unilaterally without consultation with other parties. nepalnews.com ag Nov 06 08