CA Chairman Subas Nembang called lawmakers from various political parties to air their views on the constitution draft even as RPP-N lawmakers standing in the well of the House chanted slogans.
Stating that the draft wasn't perfect and deliberations in the House were meant for effecting improvements, Nembang pushed the process forward, arguing that he had no alternative but to take the constitution-making process ahead.
"We mustn't establish the practice of obstruction and sloganeering as CA culture. We can't produce a constitution if we don't do away with such obstructions," said Nembang.
He said rigorous discussions will be held in the CA plenary and the draft will be open to public feedback. "And it will be enriched based on such feedback. So there is no need for obstructing the process at this time," he added.
Dhanraj Gurung of Nepali Congress (NC), Bhanubhakta Dhakal of CPN-UML, Girirajmani Pokharel of UCPN (Maoist) and Jitendra Dev of Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) put forth their views on the draft.
UCPN (Maoist) Chief Whip Pokharel said the RPP-N's act of obstructing the CA was wrong as safeguarding achievements was more necessary than hindering the process.
NC's Gurung described RPP-N's protest as an act against framing the new constitution "while the people want constitution without further delay."
Also, UML's Dhakal termed the protest as against the people's aspirations and urged one and all to refrain from any activities that would help elements that want to foil the constitution-making process.
RPP-N lawmakers obstructed the CA proceedings, accusing leaders of the major political forces of changing some of the provisions -- which were earlier unanimously endorsed by the CA's Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) -- while tabling the draft in the full CA.
RPP-N Chairman Kamal Thapa claimed that a provision relating to fixing the date for local elections was changed overnight. The 73-member CDC had included a provision in the draft stating that local elections would be held within six months of the commencement of the new constitution.
"The 21-member taskforce formed under the CDC unanimously decided to include the provision on holding elections within six months after commencement of the new constitution. Later, the full committee endorsed the same provision without objection from a single member," said RPP-N Chairman Thapa. "But, the wording specifying six-months was mysteriously removed when the draft was tabled in the full CA."
The major parties had agreed to remove the wording "six months" from the draft as the UCPN (Maoist) opposed it.
Thapa also expressed serious objection over any provision that ensures religion conversion as a fundamental right of individuals.
"Religious conversion has become rampant in our society and it has become urgent to stop it. But once the new constitution includes it as a fundamental right we can never stop it," said Thapa.
He accused the major political forces of including the provision as a fundamental right under the influence of foreign forces, including the European missions in Kathmandu.
"A delegation of the European Union (EU) had some time ago requested the prime minister in writing for ensuring the right of religion conversion as a fundamental right. This has come about now even though it wasn't discussed in any CA committee," said Thapa.
He said that earlier the British ambassador in Karthmandu had lobbied for the same cause. "But after widespread criticism for his public advocacy for conversion, he later apologized for the same," he said.
He said his party would allow the resuming of CA proceedings only after such mistakes are corrected.
However, CDC Chairman Krishna Sitaula rubbished the allegation of changes made to the draft. He said the same wording was used right since the first CA and it was owned by CA-II as well.
During the sloganeering, RPP-N lawmakers also showed unruliness as some of them were standing on chairs and snatching microphones from the seats. As they turned aggressive, party chair Thapa had to stop them.
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