NC to address concerns through statute amendment

Kathmandu, September 21

Nepali Congress Central Working Committee meeting today decided to take the initiative to amend provisions of the new constitution to address the three major concerns of the Tarai.

“Since the constitution is dynamic document, there are sufficient possibilities improvement. So, this meeting decided to take political initiative to address the concerns of proportional inclusion, determination of election constituencies on the basis of population and issues related to boundaries of federal units being raised in different parts of the country including in the Tarai-Madhes,” said the NC in a statement issued after the CWC meeting held at Prime Minister Sushil Koirala’s residence in Baluwatar.

The NC called on all agitating parties to come to talks to find a solution, said a statement issued by Chief Secretary of the party Rishikesh Tiwari. CWC members including Arjun Narsingh KC, Bal Krishna Khand, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, Padam Narayan Chaudhari, Candra Bhandari and Mahendra Yadav urged the leaders to address the concerns of the agitating forces through talks and begin homework to amend the new constitution, according to Yadav.

“We should not delay addressing the concerns. As the new constitution has addressed many concerns of the Madhesi people, the NC should organise mass meetings in major cities of Madhes to make people aware about their concerns already addressed in the new constitution,” Yadav said.

Bishwakarma suggested that the party leadership should play a lead role in transforming the disappointment of some quarters of people to hope and the cold response of neighbouring countries to a warm one. “The constitution should be made a living document by addressing the concerns of people through amendment,” he said.

In response, NC President Sushil Koirala and senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba expressed commitment to address the concerns of agitating people through talks, according to CWC member Gyanendra Bahadur Karki.

Meanwhile, the NC today amended the party’s statute to extend the tenure of the party’s working committees at all level by more six months as provisioned in the new constitution. The amendment will be approved by its National General Convention (NGC) to be held later.

The term of the party’s working committees was supposed to expire tomorrow as per the Interim Constitution. However, the new constitution has it that a party can extend the time for holding its convention by six months from the original five years when there is special reason.