National
Three parties decide to stick to 7-state model, federal commission to resolve demarcation dispute
Three parties have registered a joint amendment proposal to draft constitution as the deadline for tabling amendments was set to expire at 7 pm on SaturdayThree parties have registered a joint amendment proposal to draft constitution as the deadline for tabling amendments was set to expire at 7 pm on Saturday. As the three parties decided not to redraw the boundaries of the federal provinces in line with the demands of Tharus and Madhesis immediately, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L) Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar decided to break away from the four parties bloc and annouced to stay out of the current CA process.
The three parties have decided to let the Federal Commission proposed in the draft Constitution settle the disputes of demarcation. They have also proposed creation of Tharu, Muslim and Janajati Commissions to address the grievances of these communities
In the joint proposal, parties have agreed to keep the secularism with an explanation in the annex. After the public consultation on draft constitution, NC and UML had lobbied hard to remove 'secularism' from the new Constitution.
Three parties also agreed do not to include the provision of minimum threshold in the electoral law as a criteria to get seats in the Parliament. NC and UML had pushed for three to five percent threshold in the elections. Maoist, Madhesi and other fringe parties had oppossed it.
Instead of a separate Constitutional Court, parties agreed to set up a constitutional bench at Supreme Court. Earlier, parties had agreed to a provision of a Constitutional Court for ten years.