Constituent Assembly (CA) members on Wednesday continued to table their amendment proposals on the constitution draft. A total of 50 amendment proposals have been tabled so far.

According to the CA Secretariat, joint proposals put forth by Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist), including others, will be tabled on Thursday.

Following the process of tabling amendments, top leaders of major parties will express their views in the CA before the proposals are put to vote.

Tabling his proposal, NC leader Shekhar Koirala urged major forces to accommodate agitating parties in the constitution drafting process.

Koirala said it would be better to entrust the proposed Federal Commission to take a final decision regarding province disputes. “There should be immediate negotiation with agitating parties to address their demands. The country has already plunged into ethnic and religious conflict, this should be stopped without any further delay,” he said. Koirala also demanded for including the word ‘pluralism’ in the draft statute and the removal of the term ‘secular’.

Chairman of Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal Chitra Bahadur KC appreciated the decision to entrust a commission to finalise the demarcation of provinces. “The demands of agitating parties should be addressed but federal structures should not be carved on ethnic lines,” said KC. There cannot be a Tharuhat province as demanded by some parties, he added.

Ganesh Man Pun of the UCPN (Maoist) also urged the major parties to pay heed to demands put forth by the Madhesi, Tharu, Dalit and marginalised communities. He, however, said that the ongoing constitution drafting process should be continued.

With clause-wise deliberations underway and protests intensifying, there is a growing dissatisfaction brewing inside the major parties.

Twenty-five CA members of UCPN (Maoist) on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to address the ongoing protests in Madhes. In response, party Chairman Dahal directed them to abide by the party line on the constitution drafting process.