Kathmandu, January 10, 2007

Top leaders of the four major political parties today reached an agreement to share the remaining 48 seats in the interim legislature-parliament among the seven-party alliance and the CPN-Maoist.

According to the understanding reached during a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Baluwatar, the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist will get 10 seats each, Nepali Congress (Democratic) six while Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi), Nepal Workers and Peasant Party, Janamorcha Nepal and United Left Front will get three seats each out of the 48 seats, initially allocated for civil society.

The parties concerned will send members of civil society from the seats allocated to them. PM and NC president GP Koirala, UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda, NC-D president Sher Bahadur Deuba held the meeting for an hour and reached the understanding on allocation of 48 seats among the eight political parties.

Emerging from the meeting, UML general secretary Nepal told media persons that despite Deuba’s reservation they agreed to share the undecided 48 seats according to size and strength of the respective parties. Nepal said that a cabinet meeting scheduled to take place on Sunday will approve the final draft of the interim constitution inked by the eight-party leaders on December 16.

House gives more teeth to Law Commission

Kathmandu, January 10, 2007

The House of Representatives today unanimously passed the Nepal Law Commission Bill 2006 providing more teeth to the commission which has been working to promote and protect legal system in the country.

The Bill has given more power to the Commission to draft new laws and make amendments in different existing laws. The Commission will recommend the government to endorse provisions of several international laws signed by the government and to incorporate provisions in domestic laws by taking service and advice from national and international legal experts.

The Commission will be chaired by a retired Supreme Court Justice. Any senior advocate, advocate or legal researcher having 15 years’ experience will be qualified for the post of vice-chairman. Three members with the same qualification required for the post of vice-chairman will be qualified to become members of the Commission. The members will continue their job for five years but the government can remove them at any time.

Meanwhile, MPs today demanded that the Interim Constitution be ratified only after the House of Representatives (HoR) discusses on it as per the normal proceeding. Speaking at the special hour of the House, the MPs also asked the top political leaders not to distribute the remaining 48 seats in the interim parliament among the eight parties.