KATHMANDU, August,20: The Rastriya Prajatantra Party will not support the constitutional amendment bill that is scheduled to be put to a vote in parliament later this week, RPP Chairman Kamal Thapa has said.
Talking to reporters to announce the decision of the party’s emergency Central Committee meeting in Hetauda, Thapa said the party reached the decision following suggestions from most of its Central Committee members.
The choice now between the devil and the deep blue sea
Parliament is likely to vote on the amendment bill on Monday. The constitution amendment bill is almost certain to fail without the support of the RPP as the main opposition CPN-UML and some fringe parties are against it.
Earlier, Thapa had been in favor of backing the amendment bill. But with 22 lawmakers splitting away from the party, the Thapa-led RPP changed its position and concluded that it would not vote for the bill.
“We discussed whether to vote against the amendment bill or just support a few of the provisions in the bill,” said Thapa after the three-day meeting.
He accused splinter party leader Pashupati SJB Rana of knocking on the doors of the courts after failing to split the party in the proper and easy way. He further claimed that the Rana faction could at no cost secure 40 percent support for a party split.
