- Constitution amendment
- A senior TMLP leader maintains ‘something is better than nothing’
- SSF-N reiterates earlier stance, saying it does not address demands
With the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) blowing hot and cold, the government still seems to be in a sort of fix over the constitution amendment bill it has registered at the Parliament Secretariat.
The government on
November 29 registered the amendment bill at the Morcha’s insistence. But the
Morcha, an alliance of seven Madhes-based parties, refused to take ownership of
it, saying it does not address the concerns raised by the agitating forces. Now
some of Morcha’s constituents have hinted at offering “conditional support” to
get the bill endorsed in Parliament.
Morcha leaders,
who have been pressing the government to revise the bill, are saying they could
support it when it is put to vote. They, however, are quick to add that their
protest against the bill will continue until all their demands are met.
“It will be good
if the government revises the bill before it is put to vote. But the Morcha is
left with little choice even if the government refuses to oblige,” Sanghiya
Sadbhawana Party Chairman Anil Jha told the Post.
Morcha’s change of
heart comes hot on the heels of a meeting between their top leaders and Indian
Ambassador Ranjit Rae on Saturday. According to leaders present at the meeting,
the Indian envoy had advised the Morcha leaders to accept the amendment bill,
as their refusal to take ownership of it would help those who are protesting
against it.
The amendment
bill, which has been opposed by the main opposition CPN-UML, has sparked
protests in Province 5. The UML has decided to intensify protests to press the
government to withdraw the bill. The Morcha leadership fears that amid its
refusal to take ownership of the bill and UML’s opposition, the government
might withdraw it, which could mean they will go back to square one.
“Many leaders in
the Morcha believe that we should go soft on the amendment bill. It’s better to
keep differences aside and support the government now. We will continue our
struggle,” said a top leader of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party. “Something
is better than nothing.” Though some
leaders of the constituents of the Morcha have hinted at supporting the bill,
it remains unclear whether they will vote in favour.
The Sanghiya
Samajbadi Forum-Nepal, led by Upendra Yadav, has already made its position
clear that it is against the bill and that it will not vote. The SSF-N has 15
seats in Parliament. SSF-N Co-chair
Rajendra Shrestha said his party will not support the bill unless the
government revises it and redraws federal boundaries in line with the
recommendation made by the erstwhile state restructuring commission. Prime
Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s close aides told the Pot that the prime minister
has been separately talking to Madhesi leaders.
“Talks with Morcha
leaders have been positive. But it’s too early to say whether all the parties
in the alliance will vote in favour of the bill,” PM Dahal’s Chief Political
Adviser Chandra Prakash Khanal told the Post. He also said that PM Dahal is
also reaching out to some UML leaders to end the deadlock, but stopped short of
revealing the names of these leaders.
Roshan Sedhai
Published:
07-12-2016
The Kathmandu Post
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