Kathmandu, November 21

Nepali Congress lawmakers representing Madhes constituencies and districts today urged the party to take initiative to address the Madhes agitation and mount pressure on the ruling parties to move ahead the Constitution Amendment Bill registered in the Parliament.

According to NC lawmaker Farmullah Mansoor, almost all NC lawmakers from Madhes districts, who were consulted by the top leaders of the party, today vented ire at the government for not taking initiatives to address the Madhes agitation.

Mansoor further said since the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala had assured that the issues of proportional inclusion and delineation of election constituencies on the basis of population will be addressed by amending the constitution and since the two other big parties CPN-UML and the Unified CPN-Maoist had endorsed the idea, now the NC should mount pressure from within and outside the Parliament to force the ruling parties to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill.

This bill seeks to ensure proportional inclusion and election constituencies on the basis of population the two key demands of the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front.

Mansoor said almost all the lawmakers told the party leaders that the new constitution should not take away rights guaranteed by the Interim Constitution.

“The new constitution should expand people’s rights by institutionalising the rights guaranteed after the 2006 popular movement,” he added.

Mansoor said the leaders of the three major parties had told the Parliament that boundaries of the provinces would be drawn as per the sentiment of the people and now the parties should stick to their commitment.

Another lawmaker Ram Krishna Yadav said party lawmakers also told the top leaders that the party should show flexibility on the issue of provincial boundaries. He said the lawmakers also urged the party leaders to adopt strong measures to mount pressure on the ruling parties to address the concerns of the agitating forces.

Spokesperson for the party Dilendra Prasad Badu said some lawmakers were in favour of resorting to strong pressure tactics in the Parliament, including obstruction of House proceedings, while others are for taking mild measures before resorting to strong measures.

Badu said a meeting of the NC Parliamentary Party scheduled for tomorrow would take a decision on the matter. “It is certain that we will take a decision to strongly protest against the dilly dallying of the ruling parties,” he added.

Another lawmaker Bimalendra Nidhi said the party had decided to adopt measures to mount pressure on the ruling parties to ensure passage of the Constitution Amendment Bill. He said the party should also mobilise its district units to mount pressure on the ruling parties from outside the Parliament.