Clause-wise deliberation on revised constitutional bill in CA

Kathmandu, Sept 10: Lawmakers continue to deliberate clause-wise discussions on the revised bill of the Constitution of Nepal 2072 in the Constituent Assembly building at New Baneshwor in the capital today.
UCPN (Maoist) lawmaker Shree Prasad Jagebu spoke of the need to incorporate the right demands put forth by various indigenous, nationalities and Tharu community in the new constitution.
He also appealed the authority concerned to take into account identity and capacity while federating the country in accordance with the bill approved by the State-Reconstruction Committee in the first constituent assembly.

Speaking in the similar vein, Lal Bahadur Gurung argued that the new constitution should be such that a person from hill to mountain and Terai could relate themselves to it.
Citing the death of 49 persons in the agitating waged by the dissenting parties in various Terai districts in protest on the delineation of new provinces, he underscored the steadfast unity among the political parties.
Also drawing the attention of both, agitating parties and the major four parties, Yogendra Tamang Ghising urged them to pay special attention towards the resolution of the ongoing agitation. He was of the opinion that the agitating parties were trying to imperil the country.

Ghising outlined the need to follow multilingual policy for the government day-to-today works, a policy incorporating inclusiveness and proportional representation in every government bodies, while enshrining special rights to women.
Similarly, Radhika Tamang demanded the effective implementation of federalism, inclusiveness and proportional representation- the basic principles of republican system (loktantra)-in all the government bodies, including proportional representation in the constitutional bodies.
Likewise, a main amender from the joint amenders as well as the chief Whip of Nepali Congress, Chinkaji Shrestha suggested lawmakers not to panic over the issuance of the revised bill stating that the bill was neither complete nor the final one.
He shared that some 75 issues were amended in the revised bill and efforts were underway to accommodate as much as amendments as suggested by the other political parties in the constituent assembly (CA) besides the major political parties.
“The revised bill is also the proposal of almost of the political parties in CA besides the three major parties,” reaffirmed Shrestha.

He added that the provision of constitutional bench was agreed in the Supreme Court to resolve the issues related to province and more Commissions were about to set up to institutionalize inclusive and proportional system.
CPN (UML) Chief Whip, Agni Kharel, representing Joint Amendment taskforce, stated that since the constitution bill was revised with the consent of the political parties from inside the CA and Outside the CA as well, there was no point in worrying about it. He further assured during the amendment, it was made sure that the constitutional principle, norms of constitutionalism as well as basic values and norms about federalism were embraced.
Referring to the questions courting the implementation of the new fundamental rights introduced in the new constitution, Kharel pointed out the need to incorporate those issues still missing to be incorporated in the bill revised by the major three parties.
UCPN (Maoist) Chief Whip Giriraj Mani Pokharel said that the constitution promulgation process had entered into a new phase after deliberating on it for four years by the first CA and for 19-months by the current CA.
Stating that although as much as sentiments and aspirations of the oppressed, Dalit, indigenous, Madhesis, Tharu community and Karnali people were tried to address in the revised bill, he argued that the amendment was not final yet.
“Despite this, acknowledging the country’s need, we chose to agree on many issues although we were not convinced,” shared Pokharel.
Speaking of the need to put an end to an attitude intending to make CA a failure, he urged the government to address the positive demands put forth by various dissenting parties.
Pokharel argued that a new province should be federated in view of the dense settlement of Tharu and settlement with domination of Magar community should not be split in various provinces.

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