Assembly kicks off Nepal's latest attempt to write constitution =

Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal's second constituent assembly opened Wednesday with a mandate to draft the constitution, a work in progress since 2008.

Its Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa said the people would not be forgiving again and again of politicians' failure to produce a text.

The 601-member body representing 30 parties was elected November 19th, after the first assembly, elected in 2008, was disbanded in May 2012 for failing to write a constitution in time.

Party leaders have said they hope to have a draft by the end of the year.

A new constitution was one of the points in the peace deal signed with the Maoist rebels in 2006 to end a decade-long civil war, but disagreements have persisted over its content.

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