CA endorses seven-province federal model

KATHMANDU, Sept 15: Resuming the clause-wise voting on the Constitution Bill, a two-thirds majority of the Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting on Monday endorsed the seven-province federal model among other various important articles.

The major articles endorsed by the meeting include federalism, secularism, citizenship provisions, fundamental rights and the state's directive principles and policies. The issues related to federal model, secularism and citizenship provisions were among the most disputed provisions in the entire constitution-making process.

The CA meeting on Sunday had endorsed only the first three articles while the sitting on Monday resumed the voice-voting and passed 54 more articles.

Of the total 57 articles endorsed by Monday, 14 articles were passed unanimously while the rest of others by two-thirds majority in the voice vote process. The new Constitution Bill includes altogether 302 articles, a preamble and nine annexes.

The meeting made changes in 10 articles in the revised Constitution Bill through amendments jointly registered by three largest political parties - Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist). Only the amendment proposals jointly proposed by these three major political parties were passed at the meeting.

Several lawmakers from various small political parties refused to withdraw their amendment proposals, which they had registered at the CA Secretariat earlier this month, and were put to vote. All of their amendment proposals were rejected by an overwhelming majority of the CA.

Lawmakers including Anuradha Thapa of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), Chitra Bahadur KC and Mina Pun of Rastriya Janamorcha, Shiva Lal Thapa of Rastriya Janamukti Party, Hari Charan Sah of Nepali Janta Dal, Raj Kumar Rai of Khambuwan Rastriya Morcha Nepal, Yashoda Lama of Dalit Janjati Party and Shayam Shrestha of UCPN (Maoist) were those who had proposed dozens of amendments on several articles.

Lawmakers from the three major political parties, however, withdrew all the individual amendments upon the instruction from the leadership of their respective political parties.

Also, CA members from some other small political parties such as CP Mainali and Aindra Sundar Nembang of CPN (ML), Jayadev Joshi of CPN (Samyukta), Prem Bahadur Singh of Socialist People's Party and independent lawmaker Atahar Kamaal Musalman, among others, withdrew their amendment proposals upon the request from the big three political parties.

With endorsement of articles 1 to 57, the CA has settled some of the major issues such as secularism, federalism, fundamental rights, citizenship provisions, the state's directive principles and policies.

The next CA meeting will resume the clause-wise voting on Tuesday.