Kathmandu, September 8

Nepali Congress leaders including party president and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and vice-president Ramchandra Paudel today told their disgruntled Constituent Assembly members that it was a compulsion for the party to compromise on issues of the new constitution.

They added that the party would fight to address the concerns of Madhesi, indigenous and other communities in the future.

“We do not have two-third majority and making compromise with other parties is our compulsion. Now, I request you all to support the constitution drafting process and I assure you that Congress will fighting to incorporate issues that cannot be addressed now,” Koirala told the NC’s disgruntled CA members, mainly representing the Tarai, indigenous nationalities and Dalits, at a meeting with them at his residence in Baluwatar today.

Requesting CA members, who have registered separate amendment proposals to withdraw them, Koirala said, “We cannot move backward for we will be trapped.” Koirala, according to NC leader Farmullaha Mansur, said he tried to bring the agitating parties to the talks table twice. “But, they did not come.” Koirala said he was still in contact with representatives of the agitating parties.

“Madhesi lawmakers of the party had registered a 25-point amendment proposal at the parliamentary party office suggesting that the party include them in the amendment proposal. However, many of them have not been addressed in the joint proposal of the three parties. So, we urged the party leaders to find a way to incorporate them in the new statute. The ongoing protests could also be addressed with this move,” Mansur said.

If the major parties agree on new things, they can find ways to address the concerns even though clause-wise discussion has begun, Mansur said.

CA member Man Bahadur Bishwakarma said, “I put forth two concerns – there should be proportional inclusion of oppressed groups in all state bodies and the concerns of agitating groups should be addressed through talks before delivering the new constitution.” Bishwakarma, along with other two Dalit members of the party, has registered a separate amendment proposal at the CA on the issue of proportional inclusion.

Arjun Narsingh KC and Shekhar Koirala, who have also registered separate amendment proposals at the CA, suggested that the process in the CA be put on hold to address the concerns of agitating parties.

KC said, “I do not recognise the chief whip of the party in the CA as there is no whip system for the CA like in parliament.”