Skip to main content

Poll only after amendment: PM to Madhes parties

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has assured the agitating Madhes-based political parties that the government would hold the local-level election only after amending the constitution.

During a meeting with the top leaders of the agitating parties at his official residence in Baluwatar on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal made the assurance after Madhes-based parties warned that they would not support the election if it is held without amending the constitution.

General Secretary of the National Madhes Socialist Party (NMSP) Keshav Jha said there has been an understanding that the government would not announce the date for local-level poll without the consent of the Madhes-based parties. Top leaders of the Madhes-based parties at the meeting had rejected the prime minister’s proposal to announce poll date before the amendments in the constitution.

Prime Minister Dahal had argued that it would be appropriate to announce the date of election right away as it may take some time to amend the constitution.
  
The prime minister has promised revision of the amendment bill, which is already under discussion in parliament. “Prime Minister Dahal has suggested either revising the existing amendment bill or bringing a supplementary amendment, to address our concerns,” said chief whip of Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) Shivaji Yadav.

The prime minister specifically made a proposal to remove the constitutional provision that recognizes chiefs and deputy chiefs of village councils and municipalities as members of the electoral colleges that elects national assembly, president and vice president. The meeting decided to form a committee that includes a representative each from the Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center) and the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front, according to NMSP General Secretary Jha. 

The delineation of local units in Province 2 also figured during the meeting. Jha said there has also been an agreement to form a task force by the cabinet to revise the report submitted by Balananda Paudel-led commission on local level restructuring. The task force will add a few village councils to Province 2 as Madhes-based parties have maintained that the provision to keep the village council chiefs and deputy chiefs in the Electoral College undermines the principle of population-based representation.

Chairman of Sadbhawana Party Rajendra Mahato said the proposal of prime minister to revise the amendment bill is positive. “We have clearly told the prime minister that we will be supporting election only if it is held after amending the constitution,” he said.


MyRepublica
25/01/2017

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Will accept LLRC report with changes: Madhes-based parties

Madhes-based parties have hinted at accepting the report of the Local Level Restructuring Commission if appropriate changes are made in line to their demands. The regional parties said this during a meeting with a ministerial-level taskforce led by Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Hitraj Panday on Wednesday. The taskforce was formed to resolve row over the proposed demarcation of local boundaries at the political level.  During a meeting held at the Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development, Madhesi leaders categorically proposed three changes in what they describe as ‘incomplete and biased report’. First, they demanded that the provincial government should be allowed to demarcate the local boundaries. They allege the government is deliberately setting up wrong precedent by passing the jurisdiction of the provincial government.  Second, they have demanded allocation of local boundaries based in proportion to total population. The Madhes based...
Post a Comment
Read more

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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

PM Dahal to discuss with ex-PMs, China affairs experts before China visit

As Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is preparing to pay an official visit to China on March 23, the PM is scheduled to discuss the matter with former Prime Ministers and China affairs experts beforehand. A meeting of former PMs and China affairs experts has been called at PM Dahal's official residence in Baluwatar at 9 am on Thursday in this regard, said PM Dahal's press advisor Gobinda Acharya. PM Dahal's prior discussions with former PMs and China affairs experts aims to take suggestions on bilateral and multilateral meetings. PM Dahal is scheduled to hold with Chinese officials during the visit, said PM's Secretariat. A Cabinet meeting scheduled to take place today evening will finalise issues to be taken up from Nepal side in the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, Acharya informed. PM Dahal is leaving Thursday for China to take part in the annual conference of Boao Forum for Asia to be held in Boao, Hainan province from March 23-26. On the occasion, PM...
Post a Comment
Read more