KATHMANDU, Jan 1: With the political parties failing to find an agreement on the constitution amendment proposal, the ruling parties are preparing to table the document in the upcoming House session for deliberations. 

However, the main opposition CPN-UML and other parties have said they were all determined to frustrate the ruling parties' plan to bring the bill under House discussions.

The government on November 29, in its attempt to address the voices of Madhesh-centric parties agitating over some provisions of the constitution, had registered the constitution amendment bill at the Legislature-Parliament, which left the parties in the opposition tizzy.

Since then, the opposition parties have been obstructing the House proceedings, seeking the withdrawal of the bill. 

The government is learnt to have planned to table the bill in a meeting of the Parliament scheduled for tomorrow (Monday). 

Spokesperson for the major ruling party CPN (Maoist Center) Pampha Bhusal said a last-ditch effort would be made to forge a consensus on the issue. Otherwise, there was no option before the government but to bring the proposal under House discussions with due process. 

"The government wants to go ahead by bringing the agitating Madhesi parties and the main opposition CPN-UML on board. If a consensus remains at bay, a House process is a democratic means of sorting out the issue," she said. 

The bill will be presented in tomorrow's meeting for discussions and is expected to get endorsed by the two-thirds majority. 

The amendment proposal incorporates the issues of citizenship, representation in the National Assembly and redrawing of the provincial boundaries, among others. 

UML Secretary Pradeep Gyawali argues the existing CA-turned House holds no right to make change in the boundaries of the provinces determined by the constitution. 

Blaming that the government was trying to forward the constitution amendment bill against people's will, he reaffirmed UML's stance on that it would object any action that is anti-constitutional. 

With the registration of the constitution amendment bill, political polarization among the major parties has further increased. 

UML has claimed that the bill would not be endorsed from the parliament since the 201 parliamentarians from 9 opposition parties, including the major opposition UML itself, have been protesting it. 

Similarly, Speaker of House Onsari Gharti concludes that the parliamentary business could not be halted for long. 

Urging one and all to embrace the principles of majority rule upon which democracy rests, she argued that the obstruction of the parliamentary process was not in accordance with the parliamentary norms. 

Likewise, Nepali Congress Chief Whip Chinkaji Shrestha asserted that it was undemocratic not to allow any discussion on the government's agendas in parliament. Shrestha stated, "The opposition is to comment on the agendas of the government, back or oppose the agendas and analyze." 

He shared that the efforts to forge a consensus will be continued in the next meeting of the Business Advisory Committee tomorrow. 

The parliamentary proceedings have been disrupted for ninth times in a month due to the UML's stance not to allow any deliberations on it and ruling parties' commitment to work it out at any cost. RSS 

 
• political parties
 
• parliamentary process
 
• constitution amendment bill