Miscellaneous
Janajati MPs to propose joint amendment
Janajati lawmakers from the major parties are preparing to register a separate revision proposal on the draft constitution as ‘note of dissent’Janajati lawmakers from the major parties are preparing to register a separate revision proposal on the draft constitution as ‘note of dissent’ after the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML asked them to seek prior consent of their party chief whip if they wish to register any amendment bill.
Lawmakers from indigenous communities have started consultation to register an amendment proposal after “losing hope” that the parties will incorporate their demands in amendment bills.
“Talks are going on with senior leaders. We will table a separate document if they do not come up with an amendment proposal that addresses our concerns,” said NC lawmaker Nagendra Kumal.
NC Janajati Constituent Assembly members led by Kumal, who also heads the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, had talks with UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba recently.
There are 191 CA members from ethnic communities, including 63 are from the NC, 62 from the UML, 29 from the UCPN (Maoist).
UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has strictly told lawmakers to abide by the party’s decision.
“We will not backtrack on our stance of a constitution that honours past agreements and the Interim Constitution,” said Pemba Bhote, an indigenous lawmaker from the UML. He said members from all the parties are preparing to jointly submit the paper at the CA Secretariat.
Their agendas include secular state, constitutional commission for indigenous nationalities and their proportional representation in state bodies. The parties have agreed to continue with the secularism provision codified in the Interim Constitution but the lawmakers suspect it could be dropped any time without constant pressure on the senior leaders.
Janajati leaders are worried about the parties’ shaky positions on secularism after many top leaders including Oli spoke in favour of “religious freedom”.
The lawmakers are also pressing for autonomous and protected areas for indigenous minorities and implementation of the international convention on indigenous people’s rights, ILO 169. The constitution draft does not carry the autonomous and protected areas envisioned by the Interim Constitution.