Valley
Congress obstructs Parliament again to foil Reconstruction Bill
The meeting of Legislature-Parliament was disrupted yet again on Sunday following obstruction by the Nepali Congress that demands tabling of the Constitution Amendment BillThe meeting of Legislature-Parliament was disrupted yet again on Sunday following obstruction by the Nepali Congress that demands tabling of the Constitution Amendment Bill together with the National Reconstruction Authority Bill.
Deliberation on the two crucial bills has been halted due to the obduracy of the main opposition and the Madhes-based parties over constitution amendment.
The main opposition NC wants parallel discussions on both the bills while the agitating regional parties are adamant on their stance of not allowing discussion on the amendment proposal in Parliament.
Eight Madhes-based parties have been pressing for a package deal on the months-long Madhes movement claiming that the proposed amendments were registered without consultation with them. The House was scheduled to discuss the NCA Bill on Sunday.
No sooner had the meeting commenced than NC Chief Whip Chin Kaji Shrestha said the House business could not proceed by dropping the constitution amendment proposal registered by the erstwhile Sushil Koirala-led government. He said both the bills deserved equal priority.
Speaker Onsari Gharti postponed the meeting until Tuesday after leaders did not listen to her request to allow the House proceedings. She tried to assure the main opposition repeatedly that the Constitution Amendment Bill would be taken up in the next meeting.
According to NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel, the largest party only wanted the bill to be tabled in the House. “The NC will ensure that it won’t be endorsed without Morcha’s agreement,” he said. Poudel added that his party was in regular consultation with the Morcha about the bills.
The NC also held talks with leaders from the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha for seeking their support. However, the Tarai leaders were firm on their position of a package deal on their demands. Laxman Lal Karna, co-chairman of the Sadbhawana Party, said they are against the amendment proposal and would foil efforts to table it in Parliament.
The House business has been obstructed since November 9 following protests by the Madhesi parties and the NC.