Pemba Bhote forced to withdraw proposal

Kathmandu, September 7

Two of the total 56 amendment proposals were withdrawn today due to pressure from the parties of the Constituent Assembly members who had registered the proposals.

According to section officer of the CA Secretariat Tribikram Parajuli, Nepali Congress CA member Shankar Bhandari and CPN-UML CA members Jitu Gautam and Dal Bahadur Sunar withdrew their two proposals registered at the secretariat.

Parajuli also said UML’s Pemba Gurung Bhote also withdrew his proposal that was jointly registered with NC’s Nagendra Kumal. However, Kumal has not withdrawn the proposal and therefore the joint proposal will now be Kumal’s individual proposal.

According to Bhote, who is also the General Secretary of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) — the umbrella organisation of all the indigenous nationalities of the country, he could not sustain pressure from the party leadership. Bhote, who seemed to be desperate throughout the day today, said he was forced to withdraw the proposal by the party.

On the other hand, NC CA member and Chairman of NEFIN Nagendra Kumal has resisteed pressure from the party to withdraw his proposal.

Both NC and CPN-UML had directed all their CA members not to file any amendment proposal on individual basis without consulting their respective chief whips.

Following withdrawal of the amendment proposal on16 different articles, Jitu Gautam commented that he withdrew the proposal for the sake of the constitution as reactionary forces were plotting to derail the CA. “The leadership has expressed commitment to address our demands in course of time,” he said.