Kathmandu, January 10:

The Interim Constitution is to be tabled in the House of Representatives (HoR) on Saturday so that it could be promulgated by the HoR and ratified by the Interim Legislature on January 15.

“We decided on the procedure today; the Interim Constitution will be tabled on January 13, so that it can be discussed in the House on January 14 as well. It will be promulgated on January 15 before it is ratified by the Interim parliament on the same day,” MP Tek Bahadur Chokhyal told this daily .

The close-door meeting of the HoR Business Arrangement Committee decided on the procedure of the passage of the Interim Constitution this evening. Since there is no provision in law regarding the procedures for promulgating and ratifying the Interim Constitution, a “short and swift procedure” is being adopted.

MPs said they were ready to table and discuss the interim constitution even before January 13, but the Cabinet needed to ratify it before its introduction. That is a normal procedure. “Cabinet needs to ratify any law before introducing it in the parliament, interim constitution also needs ratification from the Cabinet,” said one MP.

Clause 166 of the draft interim constitution states that the “Interim Constitution will be promulgated by HoR, and the interim legislature would endorse it.” The MPs, who have been demanding that the interim constitution be discussed in HoR, will get an opportunity to do so for two days, January 13 and 14. However, it is not yet confirmed if any MP is planning to introduce any amendment in the interim constitution.