Announce polls by pulling amendment bill back: Rayamajhi

KATHMANDU: Deputy leader of the CPN Maoist Centre Parliamentary Party Top Bahadur Rayamajhi said dates of local polls should be immediately announced even by keeping the Constitution amendment proposal in limbo.

Addressing an interaction in Kathmandu on Friday, Rayamajhi said there was no any alternative to announcing the dates of the elections in other to implement the Constitution.

The former Deputy Prime Minister worried that the country would regress in lack of the Constitution implementation.

Rajamajhi, who had been speaking against the Constitution amendment bill introduced by the government led by own leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, suggested that the government either withdraw or keep the bill pending.

Reiterating that the Constitution amendment proposal, which proposes dividing Province number 5, would not benefit the country, Rayamajhi focused on holding local elections by mid-June.

Advising the Madhesi parties to come for elections with their agendas, the former energy minister said that it would be a better choice for them than to return disappointed.

Meanwhile, in the interaction, CPN-UML leader Raghubir Mahaseth claimed that the Constitution amendment bill would definitely fail.

He further added that it was impossible to endorse the bill with support of only Nepali Congress, Maoist, Rastriya Prajatanta Party, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic and independent lawmakers.