Skip to main content

UML lacks numbers to block statute revision

By: SARIN GHIMIRE

As the CPN-UML continues to question the rationale for a second constitutional amendment in accordance with the demands of the Madhesi and Janajati parties, the government seems to be unable to take the main opposition into confidence before tabling a proposal in the next few days.
But if the ruling coalition of the Maoist Centre and Nepali Congress is able to bring all the Madhes-based parties on board for tabling the amendment proposal, the next question would be if the government can pass the proposal without the support of the second largest party and handle its political fallout.

When Pushpa Kamal Dahal was elected the country’s 39th prime minister three months ago, he got 363 of the total 573 votes cast. The Parliament has 595 members. The NC, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Loktantrik, Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Sadbhawana Party and the CPN (United) are among the parties that voted for Dahal. A total of 210 parliamentarians, mostly from the UML, RPP-Nepal and a few from other fringe parties voted against him.

The constitution amendment proposal requires a two-thirds vote in Parliament to be passed. In that case, the government would need about 397 votes to amend the statute. Theoretically, the government has the required strength for passing the proposal without the UML, which has 182 seats. Some leaders are optimistic that the RPP-Nepal, following its merger with the RPP on Monday, would support a constitutional amendment for the sake of its implementation.

The UML is said to have the backing of some fringe parties, including the CPN-ML, Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party, Rastriya Janamorcha, Janamukti and Madhes Samata Party. The opposition alliance is thought to have about 197 votes.

Analysts, however, say it will be detrimental to the constitution implementation process if the statute is amended without the UML on board. “In democracy, it is natural for the ruling parties to push their agenda. But Nepal is relatively new to the whole discourse of executing a constitution written by the elected representatives,” said Pramod Aryal, a political analyst.

“Without taking the UML into confidence, a respected force in the country, we could possibly invite [fresh] political instability. Elections could also be in limbo and we could give birth to a Trump or Brexit-like nationalist force as a result,” Aryal predicted.

Yadav disowns amendment plans

BIRGUNJ: Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav said on Monday that there had been no agreement with the agitating forces on the constitution amendment proposal that the government is working on.

Talking to journalists in Birgunj, Yadav said the government had not taken the Madhes-based parties into confidence on the amendment bill that will possibly address four of their demands. “This amendment [proposal] does not address the demands of the agitating side,” said Yadav.
“The ball is in the court of three major parties,” said Yadav. “Their decision will determine whether the grievances of the agitating sides will be addressed or the country pushed towards another conflict.”

In a different context, Yadav dismissed rumours that his party would be merged with the Baburam Bhattarai-led Naya Shakti Nepal.

Published: 22-11-2016

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-11-22/uml-lacks-numbers-to-block-statute-revision.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent The Indian government has pledged to extend 17 percent more in financial aid to Nepal in the next fiscal year, indicating greater enthusiasm of the southern neighbour to support the landlocked country’s development endeavours. The Indian government has allocated a grant of IRs3.75 billion (Rs6 billion) for Nepal in 2017-18, as against IRs3.20 in 2016-17. The allocation was made through the Union Budget 2017-18 launched by Indian Finance Minister Arjun Jaitely on Wednesday.  In addition to the amount, India has also pledged to extend a grant of IRs113.30 million to Nepal Police Academy in 2017-18, the Indian budget document says. The grant pledged for Nepal in 2017-18 is second highest among South Asian countries, with Bhutan leading the pack. The Indian government has expressed commitment to extend IRs37.14 billion in grant to Bhutan in 2017-18. The amount, however, is 4 percent lower than in 2016-17. In total, Ind...
Post a Comment
Read more

Landless quake victims: Why are we deprived of state aid?

Gothelal BK of Nalang village of Dhading district feels helpless as he watches his villagers building houses at war footing. Seeing them, this homeless man does not know how to make one for his family. The government did not provide him the earthquake assistance grant distributed to quake victims because he did not have land registered in his name. “All the villagers will soon move into their new houses. But my family is doomed to live in tents. The government did not provide us the grant that it distributed to villagers. Neither did it provide us land,” BK shared with a feeling of being helpless against what he thinks as ‘state’s injustice’ to people like him.  BK’s family has been living in a hut covered with plastic sheets after the earthquake rendered them homeless in April 2015. Just like other quake victims, he also waited for nearly two years to start building new home. But his hopes were dashed. Every day when he sees his villagers’ houses coming into shape, he feels...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reduce Poverty: Much Neglected

Dilli Raj Khanal A progressive distributional policy together with the suitable institutional setups and arrangements at the grassroots for ensuring exclusively the access of poor to social and physical infrastructure as well as financial services is also a necessity . As a part of global event, poverty eradication day was celebrated in Nepal recently with claims that Nepal is one of the best performers in this area. If estimated poverty trends are looked into, there are no grounds to refute such an assertion. According to official figures, in 20 year’s period poverty has reduced by more than 20 per cent, from 41.8 per cent in 1995/96 to 21.2 per cent in 2015/16. Compared to the average GDP growth rate of 3.7 per cent in that period, the poverty reduction rate was about 3.2 per cent per annum. The breakdown by different updated poverty estimated periods give an interesting pattern. For instance, the annual poverty reduction rate was sharpest at 3.7 per cent annually during ...
Post a Comment
Read more