Kathmandu, January 7

Altogether 24 amendment proposals on the Bill on First Amendment of Constitution of Nepal were registered at the Secretariat of Legislature Parliament today, the last day for filing amendment proposals on the bill.

The proposals would be tabled at the House meeting slated for 1:00 pm on January 13.

Six separate amendment proposals were registered by 84 lawmakers from main opposition Nepali Congress.

Three of them were registered at the behest of NC leaders Bimalendra Nidhi, Minendra Rijal and Farmullah Mansur with two choices for constituency delimitation.

The three proposals were registered in consultation with party leaders, while the other three proposals were registered separately by Prakash Sharan Mahat, Romi Gauchan Thakali and Sanjay Kumar Gautam.

No lawmaker from the ruling CPN-UML or the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front registered any proposal on the bill.

The proposal registered by Nidhi-led group proposes allocating 83 constituencies for Tarai-Madhes region and 82 constituencies for hills and mountains . Rijal-led group has proposed creating 79 or 80 constituencies in Tarai-Madhes and 85 or 86 in hills and mountains.

“The first alternative closely reflects the demand of the agitating Madhesi parties. But if it cannot be agreed upon, the second alternative would accommodate the concerns of all,” said NC lawmaker Ganesh Kumar Mandal. NC lawmakers’ proposals were registered after holding consultations with the agitating UDMF, according to NC sources.

Farmullah-led group has proposed 11 clusters instead of existing 17 for proportional inclusion in state mechanisms.

The 11 clusters women, Dalits, indigenous nationalities, Madhesis, Tharus, Muslims, disabled persons, backward groups, sexual minorities, people belonging to backward regions and Khas Arya, however, should be from backward regions.

Mahat has proposed reserving at least one constituency for all mountainous and remote districts and equally sharing the remaining constituencies between the hills and the Tarai on the basis of population.

Similarly, Thakali seeks to secure at least one constituency for each mountainous and geographically remote hill district. Gautam wants all Tarai districts to be called Tarai-Madhes instead of only Madhes.

Eleven lawmakers from UCPN-M registered separate proposals on the bill at the behest of lawmaker Ram Narayan Bidari, though most of them seek almost the same thing.

They have proposed two clusters one for proportional inclusion and another for inclusion.

Their proposals seek to include nine clusters women, indigenous nationalities, Madhesi, Tharu, Muslim, people of backward region, poor peasants and laborers for proportional inclusion.

The UCPN-M lawmakers have proposed 12 other clusters aboriginals, minorities, disabled persons, marginalised, backward groups, sexual minorities, youth, peasant, laborers, oppressed and economically disadvantaged Khas Arya for inclusion in the state mechanisms.

Yogendra Chaudhari of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic) has sought 51 per cent constituencies for Tarai-Madhes and 49 percent for hills and mountains.

Prem Suwal and Anuradha Thapa Magar of Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party have sought free education and employment to all.

Durga Paudel and Mina Pun of Rastriya Janamorcha, Jay Dev Joshi of CPN (United) and Rukmini Chaudhari of Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch (Tharuhat) also registered their proposals.