‘Bill may be tabled after prime minister’s India, US tour’

UDMF wants constitution to be amended to address its concerns about provincial boundaries, citizenship and representation in the House of Representatives, the Upper House, proportional inclusion and language

Kathmandu, September 2

The prime minister is making efforts to table the constitution amendment bill in the Parliament before he embarks on India visit, but if he is unable to do that, the PM will table the bill after his India visit, Chakra Pani Khanal, Political Adviser to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, told The Himalayan Times.

The PM is scheduled to visit India in mid-September and immediately after that he is likely to leave for New York to take part in the United Nations General Assembly.

Khanal said the PM’s priority was to table the amendment bill before his India tour, but if that was not possible, he would do so after returning from New York.

Khanal said the best option for the government was to forge consensus among all the major stakeholders, including the CPN-UML, before moving the bill in the Parliament but if that was not possible, the government would forge consensus among the ruling parties and the UDMF and proceed accordingly.

“We have signed a three-point agreement with the Federal Alliance.

We must make efforts to implement the deal,” he said and added that the government was trying to forge consensus with the stakeholders on both issues -- restructuring of local bodies and on constitution amendment bill.

The UDMF said it would not accept decision of the Local Bodies’ Restructuring Commission if boundaries of local bodies were determined before boundaries of provinces were revised.

Chair of Sadbhawana Party Rajendra Mahato said the UDMF was not concerned whether the PM should table the bill before or after his foreign tour. “Our only concern is that the government should table the bill in the Parliament as soon as possible,” he added.

Mahato said it was important for the government to come up with its stand on constitution amendment before trying to forge consensus with the UDMF.

Vice-chair of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Brikhesh Chandra Lal said the ruling parties had not yet started a structured debate on constitutional issues with the UDMF and the government’s efforts were slow in this respect.

Lal said an agreement between the ruling parties and the UDMF on constitutional issues would help prepare environment for amending the constitution. “The UML is still smarting from its failure to save its coalition government and its rhetoric against amending the constitution is its expression of anger and frustration.

Once the constitution amendment bill is tabled in the Parliament both the ruling parties and the UDMF would prepare the environment for the same and I am sure the progressive faction of the UML will also support the bill,” Lal added.

He said amending the constitution was necessary to hold elections and implement the constitution.

UDMF wants constitution to be amended to address its concerns on provincial boundaries, citizenship and representation in the House of Representatives, the Upper House, proportional inclusion and language.