Skip to main content

Nepali Congress still divided on way forward

Majority leaders express doubts on statute implementation without consensus among major political forces on amendment proposal

Nepali Congress, the largest party in Parliament, is yet to come with a united front on the constitution amendment bill, raising questions if the coalition partner has whole-heartedly supported the proposal.
NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba has reiterated that he was confident of the Sanyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha and the main opposition CPN-UML coming to consensus on the amendment bill. If that was not the case, he believes that the government would be able to garner enough votes, with the support of Rastriya Prajatantra Party and the Madhesi Morcha, to pass the amendment bill through the Parliament. The former prime minister has reportedly warned its cadres on going against the proposal.
But a majority of leaders from the party, during public speeches around the country, have raised concerns over some of the issues raised by the bill and have urged the government to take into account the main opposition too before voting for the amendment proposal.
Despite the fact that the amendment bill was registered in Parliament with the support of NC, major of the party leaders have raised concerns over it, NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat said. He lamented that their party leadership had failed to take into account the sentiments of the people before taking an official stance on the amendment bill. “Even the main opposition has shown immaturity by seeking for a solution from outside the Parliament,” said Mahat.
The government registered a constitution amendment bill in Parliament last Tuesday with an aim to address the demands of the Madhes-based parties, mainly over the state boundaries, language, citizenship and representation in Upper House.
Speaking at a programme in Nawalparasi on Tuesday, NC general secretary Sashank Koirala noted that it would not be possible to go ahead with implementing the constitution without the support of the UML. Hinting at his reservations on the government’s proposal to split the Hill districts of Province 5 to incorporate it into Province 4, he said that the government had not been able to hold enough dialogue with all political forces, or with the citizens themselves, before taking a decision on such a sensitive matter. Koirala added that if the government would be wise enough to withdraw the bill if it failed to take into account the UML, Madhesi Morcha and RPP.
Former NC general secretary Prakash Man Singh also expressed his doubts if the government would be able to garner enough votes to support the bill in its present form. “Doors are always open to amend the bill itself if that brings the UML and Madhesi Morcha on board,” he said.
Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khand, Pushpa Bhusal and Chandra Bhandari have also voiced their displeasure at the government's plan to change the federal boundaries of Province 4 and 5. The bill has tried to create Province 5 a Madhes-only state with a view to appease the Madhes-based forces.
However, NC ministers in the government are still hopeful on the amendment bill being passed. Speaking at a function in Chitwan on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi pressed on the need to create a condusive environment to support the amendment bill for the sake of implementing the constitution. He claimed that an amendment proposal was necessary for the larger ownership of the statute, elections and stability in the country.
Published: 07-12-2016
The Kathmandu Post



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Elections to oppose regional politics: Chair Oli

CPN (UML) chair and former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has said that the upcoming elections will vehemently oppose and respond to the regional politics and forces involved in disharmonizing the social cohesion. Speaking in a program organized to extend thanks to the volunteers, artists and media for their presence and support shown during the party's Mechi-Mahakali Campaign (March 4-18), leader Oli said so. He added that the people will answer those forces by giving a majority seats to his party from upcoming elections. Leader Oli further shared that the party will launch more effective programme in Province No 2 in near future. He added that the Madhesi morcha showed apolitical behaviors against UML during the campaign being intolerable due to fear of ending their illusion against the constitution and UML if UML launched effective and harmonious programs in Tarai. In another context, chair Oli shared that the attorney general suggested the election commission to touch

House panel has decided 3 % threshold provision

State Affairs Committee of the Parliament has decided to impose a threshold of three percent and at least one seat under the First-Past-the-Post electoral system to secure seats under the proportional representation system. The committee meeting on Wednesday took the decision to impose the threshold. Earlier, a sub committee formed by the committee decided to impose 3 percent threshold in the upcoming parliamentary election to become national political party. According to the subcommittee member Rameshwor Phuyal, the 27th meeting of the panel decided to provision three percent threshold after the rigorous discussion.  "Any political party must secure at least three percent seat under the Proportional Representation (PR) category and at least one seat under First-Past-the-Post category to become the national political party," said Phuyal.  He hailed the decision of the 11-member panel as historic. The sub-committee was failing to endorse the Bill Related to Political

One FPTP seat, 3pc PR votes necessary to become nat'l party

The sub-committee under the parliamentary State Affairs Committee has reached to a consensus on bill regarding the political parties on Wednesday. As per the provision, for any political party to be recognized as a national party they must secure at least one seat under first-past-the-post (FPTP) and three percent proportional vote. Committee member Ram Krishna Yadav informed that a meeting of the sub-committee held at Singha Durbar this morning forged a consensus despite objections from fringe parties. Nepal Workers Pheasants Party leader Prem Suwal, CPN-ML leader Aindrasindar Nembang among other leaders from fringe parties objected to the provision of securing three percent threshold on PR and one FPTP seat. Ekantipur 22/03/2017