Kathmandu, May 10

CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli today rejected Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s proposal to back the constitution amendment bill.

Deuba had gone to Oli’s residence in Balkot today seeking the main opposition party’s support for the bill tabled in the Parliament. Deuba’s meeting comes hot on the heels of the Mahantha Thakur-led Federal Alliance’s announcement of fresh stir against the local polls.  The FA has said that a revised constitution amendment bill must be passed or else it will disrupt the local polls.

Oli rejected Deuba’s proposal, saying that the constitution amendment bill had failed to prove its relevance and therefore his party would not support the bill in its present form, according to Oli’s aide Pramod Dahal. In the meeting, Oli also demanded that the second phase local polls be held before May 29 and the government bring the budget as per the constitutional provision.

The UML wants to ensure that the budget does not influence election in favour of the ruling parties.

A knowledgeable source said Oli told Deuba that if he became the prime minister after the first phase of local polls and failed to hold local polls on June 14 because of the ruling parties’ failure to ensure passage of the constitution amendment bill he (Deuba) would be blamed for the failures.

According to Dahal, UML Chair Oli also asked Deuba to withdraw impeachment motion filed against Chief Justice Sushila Karki, saying the motion had tarnished Nepal’s image internationally. Oli argued that withdrawal of the impeachment motion could pave the way for new consensus among the parties and prevent conflicts between the parties over the issue. Oli also told Deuba that his party would not object if the government put the amendment bill to vote.

Deuba’s Personal Aide Bhanu Deuba said the NC president sought UML’s support on the bill. “He told the NC President that the bill could be discussed after local polls as his party was busy with preparation for the local polls,” Bhanu Deuba added. He said the NC president told Oli that passing the bill was important to bring the agitating Madhesi forces on board the poll process.

On the impeachment motion, Deuba told Oli that since the motion was under consideration in the House, he was in favour of taking a decision on the matter after consulting parties.

Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav said at a press conference organised by Reporters Club that the EC was not in favour of advancing the second phase elections. “I have heard some say that the second phase of polls can be held on May 24 or 25 but we are not in favour of that,” he said and added that the dates for the polls were fixed by the government. “We wanted to hold local polls on May 14 but the government decided to hold the second phase elections on June 14,” he added.

Yadav told THT that advancing the second phase elections would be impossible. “We cannot manage our preparations if the second phase elections are held earlier than June 14. We cannot train our staff for election duty,” Yadav added.