Ruling, opposition parties register 50 proposals
Kathmandu, April 29
Lawmakers from Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal today registered a joint proposal on the constitution amendment bill seeking to revise provincial boundaries after consulting the province concerned.
The ruling parties registered the amendment proposal as per their understanding with Federal Alliance leaders.
Lawmakers Chinkaji Shrestha, Tek Bahadur Basnet, Kunti Kumari Shahi, Jungi Lal Ray Yadav and Laxman Lal Karna jointly registered a proposal at 10:15pm.
Their document proposes to drop the word ‘consent’ and ‘all’ from the original bill, which means the Parliament can revise provincial boundaries after consulting the province concerned. It also proposes a Federal Commission to be formed on the basis of proportional inclusion to recommend revision of provincial boundaries. The agitating Federal Alliance and the United Democratic Madhesi Front had said the term ‘all’ in the original bill was confusing and should be removed.
The joint proposal also states that any language other than Nepali could be official language or language of government communication at the centre if the Language Commission so recommended.
A total of 50 amendment proposals were registered today before the 72-hour deadline ended at 10:30 tonight.
Lawmakers from CPN-UML and Bijay Kumar Gachhadar-led Nepal Democratic Forum also registered amendment proposals.
UML lawmakers stated in their proposal that the bill’s provisions were against the interest of the country and the federal system.
Lawmaker Shyam Shrestha registered an amendment proposal saying that English should be another official language.
UML lawmaker Bharat Mohan Adhikari proposed to retain the provision of Article 295(1) which provisions forming a Federal Commission. The bill proposes to remove this provision. Adhikari also proposed to keep the provision of mandatory consent of provinces concerned for revision of provincial boundaries.
Many UML lawmakers argued that the proposal to amend Article 274 was against the principle of the federal system.
The amendment proposed by UML lawmaker Kedar Prasad Sanjel stated that the bill had the hidden intention of making a non-Nepali language an official language of the country.
His proposal also stated that the bill’s provision on citizenship could create a condition of dual citizenship. “So there should be a proposal of automatic invalidation of naturalised citizenship if any foreign woman did not submit proof of renounciation of the citizenship of her country of birth within six month from the date she acquired Nepali citizenship,” Sanjel stated.
The government had registered a new constitution amendment bill on April 11.
The bill also proposed to delink the voting rights of chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels in the electoral-college formed to elect the Upper House.
Nepal Workers and Peasants party lawmakers Prem Suwal, Anuradha Thapa Magar and Dilli Prasad Kafle also registered amendment proposals. Likewise other parties in opposition — CPN–ML and Rastriya Janamorcha also registered amendment proposals.
