Solidarity Centre for Nepal Democracy

The government on Tuesday evening registered a seven-point constitution amendment bill at the parliament secretariat, proposing, among other things, to take all the hill districts out from Province 5. The amendment bill proposes to leave only six districts, namely Nawalparasi (west of Susta Bardaghat), Rupandehi, Kapilbastu, Dang, Banke and Bardiya in the province, taking out the six hill districts of Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi, Rukum, Rolpa and Pyuthan. A cabinet meeting held  Tuesday evening also decided to form a High-Level Delineation Commission to settle all issues related to the delineation of provinces after making a comprehensive study of all past agreements and the reports submitted by various commissions.  “The commission is entrusted with the responsibility of submitting a report with suggestions after holding talks with all the stakeholders on the basis of past agreements and the reports related to state restructuring,” Minister for Physical Infrastructures and

The Nepali Congress has submitted its list of 10 state ministers to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. They will be sworn in on Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi on Tuesday handed the names to the PM according to the recommendations made by NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Once the 10 state ministers are inducted, the Dahal-led Cabinet will be 41-member strong. The cabinet already has 15 ministers from the NC, two from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, one from the CPN (Samyukta), and eight ministers and four state ministers from the Maoist Centre. Sources said five of them were recommended by the establishment side, three by the Ram Chandra Poudel-led group, and one each by the factions led by Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Khum Bahadur Khadka. Name    Portfolio Dirgha Singh Bhatt: Physical Infrastructure and Transport Sitaram Mehata: Forest Taraman Gurung: Health Surendra Acharya: Irrigation Subarna Jwarchan: Urban Development Indra Ban

After days of confusion, the government on Tuesday registered a constitution amendment proposal at the Parliament Secretariat, seeking to change four constitutional provisions.  Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s Chief Political Adviser Chakrapani Khanal said the amendment proposal was registered after all major political parties save the main opposition CPN-UML expressed readiness to support it.  PM Dahal on Tuesday afternoon had held discussions with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Kamal Thapa before putting the amendment proposal before the Cabinet meeting at Baluwatar for approval.  In the morning, PM Dahal, while addressing his party’s politburo meeting, had said the government was all set to register the amendment proposal “as the Madhes-based parties were ready to take part in the elections irrespective of the fate of the amendment proposal in Parliament”.  According to Maoist leader Mani Thapa, Dahal told the meeti

The Madhes-based parties have reiterated that the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) will make its official view public on the constitution amendment proposal after studying the final draft. The parties, however, have hinted that they will support and probably vote for the amendment proposal with reservations even if it does not address their demands in entirety. “The Morcha will make its official stance clear after going through the draft. We still don’t know the details of the amendment proposal. We are waiting for its registration,” Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato told the Post hours before the government registered the proposal at the Parliament Secretariat.  Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSF-N) Co-chair Rajendra Shrestha said that his party will not completely oppose the draft even if it falls short of addressing the demands of the agitating forces. “We will appreciate and support the positive aspects of the draft. But our support will be conditional unt

The government has made preparations for the constitution amendment to address the demands of the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF). The demarcation of the provinces is the thorniest issue among the four demands being raised by the UDMF. Madhesi parties had staged strikes and bands for almost six months after the constitution were promulgated diving Nepal into seven provinces. The southern neighbor also imposed blockade on Nepal for six months on the pretext of Madhes agitation. The Madhesi Morcha had backed down from its One Madhes One Province demand following the Tharu protest and started raising its voice for two provinces in the Tarai belt. Since then, the Madhesi Morcha has been demanding that Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari be included in Province Number 2. Quite recently, the government has floated a proposal to split Province Number 5, drawing flacks from all quarters. “The amendment in the constitution had been made in the past, too, but thi

Students and political leaders have hit the streets in the district calling for an integrated Province -5. Students and youth leaders affiliated to Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) have taken out a huge rally at the district headquarters Sandhikharka on Tuesday. The people of the hill districts have upped the ante after the government made preparations to bring a constitution amendment proposal to split the five hill districts from Province 5. Hill people have been agitated after the government made preparations to bring the constitution amendment proposal to include Arghakhanchi, Gulmi and Palpa in Province 4 and Pyuthan and  Rolpa in Province 6. Hundreds of youths, students and political leaders have demonstrated in Sandhikharka bazaar before they converged into a corner meeting in front of District Administration Office today.  “Our demonstration will continue unless the government withdraws its constitution amendment propos