Four SP members resign

Kathmandu, August 23

Four of the six Constituent Assembly members of the Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party today tendered their resignations to CA Chair Subas Chandra Nembang.

The SP had announced last week that its CA members would quit the apex body to protest the provisions of draft constitution including the demarcation of the provinces’ boundaries.

According to assistant spokesperson for the CA Secretariat Sudarshan Kuikel, SP CA members Laxman Lal Karna, Bimal Kumar Kedia and Shail Kumari Devi tendered their resignations. Karna also handed over the resignation of CA member Sanjay Kumar Sah who is in judicial custody facing murder charges.

Karna, who is also the co-chair of the party, said two other SP CA members Narsingh Chaudhari and Madhavi Rani Sah could not tender their resignations, as they were unable to return to Kathmandu due to the ongoing general strike in the Tarai. Karna said Chaudhari and Sah would tender their resignations as soon as they return to the capital.

When asked if the SC CA members were also quitting from the Parliament, the SP Co-chair said the SP CA members’ resignations from CA meant that they were quitting from the Parliament as well.

“The CA doubles up as Parliament so when we quit the CA, it means we are quitting as MPs as well. Elections were held for the CA and not for the Parliament,” Karna said, adding, “CA Chair Subas Chandra Nembang became Speaker of the Parliament after he was elected the CA chair. No separate election was held for the Speaker of the Parliament.”

Karna said the three major parties violated the past agreements and the Interim Constitution as far as federalism issues were concerned. “We waited enough thinking that the three parties would make changes in the draft constitution to address Madhesis’ concerns, but when they came up with seven-province model dividing Madhes in multiple provinces, we decided to quit CA,” he said.

Karna said SP CA members had stated all these facts in their resignation letters.

“Now the constitutional issues will be decided in the CA on the basis of numerical strength and there is no relevance for the Madhesi parties to remain there,” he added.

CA Chair Nembang told THT that he told the SP CA members that he would act on the resignations as per the constitution, laws and established practices but it would be better if they could rethink their decision.

SP is the first party to quit the CA over differences on constitutional issues.