Kathmandu, September 4

Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala today registered separate amendment proposal on the “Revised Bill” of the new constitution at the Constituent Assembly Secretariat ignoring the party’s instruction not to do so.

“The concerns I have put forth in the proposal embody the basic character of the NC, such as retaining pluralism. I have also registered the proposal at the NC parliamentary party office and I will withdraw the proposal from the CA if the party’s proposal incorporates my points.

I don’t care whether the party takes action against me for registering the proposal. I am worried that the party is losing fundamentals of democracy in the new statute by agreeing to include many negative terminologies in preamble,” Koirala told THT.

Koirala proposed to remove ‘secularism’ and ‘socialism-oriented’ and proposed to include pluralism instead of the term “people’s competitive multi-party”. He stated in his proposal that either there should be no post of vice-president or s/he should be given the role of chairing the National Assembly.

He proposed constitutional bench in the Supreme Court with a mandatory provision of dispensing justice within three months instead of a constitutional court.  President should operate Nepali Army on the recommendation of Cabinet and National Security Council, adds his 12-point proposal.

Stating that the proportional inclusion is mentioned in the preamble, Koirala said the leaders purposefully missed it in other provisions that ensure proportional representation of underprivileged groups in all state bodies. The electoral constituencies should be determined on the basis of “equal population” and “geographic accessibility”, states Koirala’s proposal.

Koirala proposed to scrap Article 286 (1), according to which the CA will be transformed into Parliament after the commencement of this constitution. He proposed separate Labour Commission, Indigenous Nationality Commission and Muslim Commission.

CA Secretariat has received 16 amendment proposals so far and only one day remains to file proposals, according to Udbir Nepali, section officer of the Secretariat’s bill section. No members of NC, CPN-UML, Unified CPN-Maoist and Madhes-based parties have filed any amendment proposal, except NC’s Shekhar Koirala.

Rastriya Janamorcha members, including Chitra Bahadur  KC, registered three amendment proposals demanding to remove federalism and  amend provisions related to citizenship and inclusion.

Chin Kaji’s warning

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress Chief Whip Chin Kaji Shrestha instructed Shekhar Koirala on Friday to withdraw his amendment proposal, citing the decision of the Central Working Committee meeting of the party held on Tuesday.

The NC’s parliamentary party meeting, held on Wednesday, had also instructed the party’s CA members not to register individual proposals at the CA to amend the Revised Bill.

“I have instructed him to withdraw his proposal and I believe he will do so on Saturday,” Shrestha said. Koirala will face action as per NC statute if he defies the party’s instruction, Shrestha said.