Deuba, Oli to continue bid to end deadlock

Kathmandu, December 11

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader of the main opposition CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli today agreed to hold further talks to forge consensus on the second amendment to the new constitution.

The leaders reached understanding after they met at the UML’s parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar today.

The UML has been obstructing House meetings since the government registered the bill on November 29 and pressing the government to withdraw it. The government, on the other hand, wants to table the bill in the next meeting of the House on December 15.

“Talks were held to end the deadlock. We have decided to find a solution by holding another round of talks,” Deuba said after the 50-minute meeting which was also attended by UML deputy parliamentary party leader Subas Chandra Nembang. The talks were held to end the crisis of confidence among the political parties, Deuba said.

The two leaders have agreed to sit again and try to forge consensus before tabling the bill, according to Deuba’s Personal Secretary Keshav Joshi.

Oli had urged Deuba to withdraw the bill and create atmosphere for holding civic polls. Oli had hinted that the UML would be ready to clear the House obstruction if the government put the constitution amendment bill on hold and tabled election-related bills, said Oli’s Press Coordinator Chetan Adhikari.

“UML wants the government to announce dates for holding civic polls and the party is flexible about clearing the way for this. However, the party is not ready to clear the House obstruction for tabling the constitution amendment bill without forging consensus on it,” Adhikari said.

The seven-point amendment bill proposes to amend constitutional provisions related to redrawing provincial boundaries, recognition of languages, citizenship and representation in the National Assembly.

The bill proposes revision of boundaries of provinces 4 and 5 by keeping the region east of Bardaghat in Nawalparasi district and the eastern part of Rukum district in Province 4 and the region west of Bardaghat in Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Banke and Bardia districts in Province 5.