Kathmandu, November 17

The Parliament is scheduled to meet on Sunday after a gap of nearly two weeks, but it is still unclear whether it will settle the two most disputed issues amendment of new constitution and passing a bill related to national reconstruction authority very soon.

Basically, the government has to provide business to Parliament. However, it is uncertain whether the business of the House will focus on these issues.

Around 45 bills registered by the previous government are stranded at the Parliament. However, it also is uncertain whether the incumbent government will move them ahead.

In the absence of related laws, the government is unable to begin work related to reconstruction of structures damaged during the April-25 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks and make systematic effort to support quake victims.

Likewise, the issue of whether to move ahead the process of amendment of the new constitution has been stranded as the ongoing talks between the three major parties and agitating Madhes-based parties have been inconclusive so far.

In the given backdrop, Speaker Onsari Gharti wants to focus the House’s business on two agendas. “As bills related to reconstruction authority and constitution amendment are important issues directly related to the current national crisis, I hope the parties will reach conclusion on them by Sunday and Parliament can then settle them amicably,” Gharti told THT.

As both have been promised by the major parties, they should settle them through consensus, she said.

She also aid she was holding consultations with Minister for Law, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs regarding moving ahead the two bills and to provide more business to the Parliament from the government. “As we need to enact more than 100 bills to implement the new constitution, I am also asking the government to bring other bills on priority basis,” Gharti said.

The authority related bill is now under consideration at the Legislation Committee of the parliament and two major parties Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are at odds

on its proposed provisions. “The panel is scheduled to sit on Friday and wrap up disputes related to the authority related bill so that it can be moved ahead through House on Sunday,” said NC lawmaker Nabindra Raj Joshi.

The NC is preparing to push the coalition partners to pass the two bills related to constitution amendment and the authority, which were registered by the erstwhile NC-led government, without changing their spirit.

The NC wants to give continuity to the works and appointments carried out by the previous government, while the incumbent coalition doe not want that to happen, but to start the related work afresh, according to sources.

As passing the authority related bill requires simple majority, the coalition can pass it on its own but it needs two-third majority to pass the constitution amendment bill. Therefore the NC’s support is imperative for passing the latter bill.

“The NC is preparing to push the government to pass the two bills immediately after the House meeting begins,” Joshi said.

Agitating Madhes-based parties, however, are saying they will continue boycotting Parliament until their concerns are addressed on the basis of consensus. “As earlier, we will participate in the beginning of the House meeting and boycott it without participating in the House business,” said Sadbhawana Party leader Laxman Lal Karna.