These three parties have agreed to revise the bill in Parliament itself

Kathmandu, December 17

A meeting between the Nepali Congress, CPN-MC and the United Democratic Madhesi Front decided to move ahead with the process of constitution amendment bill.

Chair of National Madhes Socialist Party Sharat Singh Bhandari told mediapersons the PM had assured UDMF leaders that the process of amending the bill would move forward and the government would neither withdraw it nor postpone its process.

Sadbhawana Party Chair Rajendra Mahato told THT the meeting also decided to make joint efforts to end the House obstruction and hold dialogue with political forces, including the CPN-UML, which has been obstructing House proceedings against the registration of the bill.

Mahato said the ruling parties’ leaders also proposed that they agree on holding local polls under the old structure, but UDMF leaders said they would think about local polls only after the bill was passed.

The meeting also decided not to accept the report of the Local Bodies Restructuring Commission for some time as its term was till mid-March, according to NMSP General Secretary Keshav Jha.

CPN-MC Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal told mediapersons that the leaders were of the view that the UML could present its views on the bill and defeat the bill if it could, but it should follow parliamentary norms and stop obstructing House proceedings.

She said the UDMF wanted revision of the bill and efforts would be made in the Parliament to revise it. The ruling parties would hold consultation with all other parties, including Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic.

Jha said the leaders openly put forth their concerns and decided to expose the UML’s ‘irresponsible behaviour in the Parliament.’ “All sides were very angry with the UML for obstructing House proceedings. NC leaders said the UML was creating irreparable divide between the hills and the Tarai,” Jha informed.

According to Jha, the PM told the meeting that the UML, which preached parliamentary democracy to his party, was now acting against its norms.

Mahato said NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba told the meeting that his party was in favour of the bill and only one lawmaker had spoken against the bill to please his constituents, but he would try to change the lawmaker’s mind.

UDMF leaders told the ruling parties that some of their leaders were supporting the UML’s stance on the bill and the ruling parties needed to rein in their dissidents.

The PM also told UDMF leaders that their lack of total support for the bill gave ammunition to the UML to blast the bill. UDMF leaders made it clear that they had only told the government to revise it. “How can we support the bill when it does not address all our key issues,” Mahato added.

Mahato said the meeting also decided to expose the CPN-UML, which had endorsed a blueprint of the seven-province model proposing to create another Tarai province from Nawalparasi to Bardiya, but was now calling this proposal an anti-national move.