Kathmandu, September 8

Constituent Assembly today began clause-wise discussion on the “Revised Bill” of the new constitution. Of the 54 amendment proposals registered at the CA, seven were tabled today and eight CA members took part in today’s discussion requesting all CA members to support their proposals. The discussion will resume at 10:30am tomorrow.

Tabling the bill at today’s CA meeting, Constitution Drafting Committee Chairman Krishna Prasad Sitaula said the level of confidence had risen among the people with the message that the country would get a new constitution in a few days.

“Despite our many differences and eight-year long deliberations, we have reached this stage. We have many problems but the only place to settle them is the sovereign Constituent Assembly. The new constitution will be a political document of compromise,” Sitaula said. He believed that the new constitution would provide the country stability and peace.

Prem Bahadur Singh of Samajwadi Janata Party requested all CA members to support his amendment proposal that sought to declare Karnali an autonomous special zone.

Shiva Lal Thapa and Seema Kumari BK of Rastriya Janamukti Party, Yashoda Kumari Lama of Dalit Janajati Party and Laxman Rajbamshi of Nepa: Rastriya Party put forth their proposals.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa said he was attending the CA meeting only as a formality and did not put forth his views on the issues related to his amendment proposal.

He later told the top leaders of major parties, including UCPN-M Chairman Dahal, NC leader Ramchandra Paudel and UML Chair KP Sharma Oli, that his party would boycott the CA if they did not address the party’s demand of declaring Nepal a Hindu state.

Dipak Bohara of Rastriya Prajatantra Party demanded to replace the provision of secularism with “sanatan sarbadharma sapeksha rastra”. He blamed the leaders of major parties for demarcating the boundaries of the federal units to keep their vote banks intact.