UML not to let amendment debate begin without assurance

KATHMANDU: The main opposition party CPN-UML said it would not let the Parliament begin discussions on the Constitution amendment bill today as well.

The party held a meeting with eight other fringe parties which have been supporting it on the anti-amendment agenda and decided that there should be a guarantee that the agitating Madhes-centric parties would accept results of the amendment debate to let the discussions begin.

"If they will accept the results, we will let the discussions begin," UML Vice-Chairman Bhim Rawal told media after the meeting, "But if they will not, there is no point in holding the discussions."

Earlier, the UML Parliamentary Party had held its meeting at the Parliament building and decided not to let the discussions begin without any further agreement.

"If the meeting will be held today without any further development," UML lawmaker Agni Prasad Kharel told THT Online over phone, "We will do whatever we had been doing earlier (obstructing the House business)."

Meanwhile, it has been learned that the Business Advisory Committee is holding its meeting to decide agendas of the meeting today.

Therefore, the meeting called for 2 pm today has not started today as of 2:50 pm now.