Top-level talks with agitating parties today
KATHMANDU, Jan 20: Major political parties have agreed to revise the constitution amendment bill, which is under discussion in parliament, to accommodate the voices of the agitating political parties.
A meeting of the three big parties --Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) -- and the ruling Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal and the Madhesi Peoples Right Forum Democratic (MPRF-D), held at the prime minister's official residence at Baluwatar on Wednesday, also decided to hold talks with the agitating parties at a high level, as demanded by the later, on Thursday.
Altogether 24 proposals were registered in parliament by over 100 lawmakers from various parties, demanding revision of the constitution amendment bill. Most of the lawmakers registering amendment proposals to the bill have demanded reducing the pre-operational inclusive quotas and delimitation of the electoral constituencies mainly on the basis of population.
The constitution amendment bill proposes pre-operational inclusive quotas for 17 communities and delimiting the constituencies on the basis of population while ensuring at least one constituency in each of the existing districts.
The major parties have decided to study all the registered revision proposals and try to see if any of the proposals accommodate the aspirations of the dissenting parties. "If any amendment proposals are found to address the dissident voices, those proposals will get endorsement in consensus," said NC Vice President Ram Chandra Paudel while emerging from the meeting. "If the necessity of revising any wording is seen, the task could be entrusted to a special committee."
Earlier, the big three had stood divided over whether to revise the amendment bill, which was registered in parliament as agreement among them had already been reached. However, after some lawmakers from NC and the agitating parties became dissatisfied with the bill, stating that it was incomplete, NC on Tuesday demanded revisions . The endorsement process for the bill was deferred following the dispute.
Prior to endorsing the amendment bill, the major political parties have decided to hold a dialogue with the agitating parties at the top guns-level on Thursday morning. "As they have demanded talks at the top level, we have decided to arrange such talks immediately and resume negotiations where they were left off," said Shrestha of UCPN (Maoist).
A meeting between the three major parties and United Democratic Madhesi Front-- the alliance of four agitating Madhes-based parties--has been convened for Thursday morning at Baluwatar.