UML Secretary Bishnu Poudel, a senior party leader in the CA, said the party hasn´t registered any state restructuring model in the CA. [break]
“I want to inform this meeting that the CPN-UML hasn´t officially registered any concept of the party in this CA committee regarding state restructuring,” Poudel said while addressing deliberations on the preliminary draft report and concept paper prepared by the CA State Restructuring Committee on Thursday.
The committee has forwarded a 14-province model for state restructuring to the CA full House for deliberations. Poudel took exception to the idea of delineating the country into 14 provinces saying that the number was too many and not viable. He also objected to the idea of naming states along ethnic lines. Poudel instead proposed formation of a commission of experts for delineation of states.
The party had submitted a concept paper and model of federal system to the CA committee in November. It proposed the committee to delineate the country into 15 provinces.
Also in a parliamentary party meeting on Saturday, the UML Chairman had instructed the party´s CA members to speak in favor of forming a high-level commission on state restructuring. But all the seven members representing UML in the restructuring committee had voted in favor of the 14-province model.
Kirati´s remarks objectionable: Ghimire
Nepali Congress (NC) Chief Whip Laxman Ghimire took strong exception to Maoist leader Gopal Kiranti´s statement during deliberations in CA on Monday.
Former Minister Kiranti had warned that the party would not only take action against those opposing the 14- province model on any pretext, but would also “reduce them to pulp”. Ghimire said such a statement was objectionable. He also reiterated the NC´s stance for forming a state restructuring commission.
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