Nepali Congress has said that there should be an intensive discussion on the Constitution Amendment Bill before it is endorsed by Parliament.

A separate meeting of the party’s office bearers and the Parliamentary Party reached the similar conclusion on Thursday, a day after the Bill was tabled in Parliament amid protest by the Madhes-based parties. The main opposition party has underlined the need of holding a comprehensive discussion on the contents of the Bill both in Parliament and in public before its endorsement.

As  the government

prepares for early endorsement of the Bill, NC has cautioned that it is not a wise step as it could increase the tension rather than resolve the dispute with the Madhes-based parties.

In the Parliamentary

Party meeting, NC President Sushil Koirala said tabling the bill is a breakthrough towards ending the Madhes crisis which resulted in the border blockade. He also added that NC is keen to take the ownership of the constitution amendment.

“The Constitution Amendment Bill will address the demands of Madhes.

We can hold continuous discussion on demarcation,” Koirala said, adding that

all major parties should step up their efforts to avoid further confrontation in the Tarai/Madhes.

The amendment proposal was registered by the erstwhile government led by Koirala.

According a NC source, India has reacted positively about the amendment proposal and it could lift the economic embargo once Parliament endorses it.

In the Central Working Committee meeting, NC

leader Mahesh Acharya, who is engaged in talks with Madhes-based parties, said that NC should tell the

people about the achievement that Madhes will gain

after the amendment of the constitution.

Another leader Bimalendra Nidhi said Madhesi people and Madhes-based parties have a high hope from NC when it comes to resolving the Madhes crisis.

He said the party should remain open on the issue of demarcation. Nidhi also suggested that referendum

at local level could be an held to settle the boundaries of some districts.

Of late, there are increasing voices inside the NC to settle the disputed issues through referendum. According to NC lawmaker Ram Hari Khatiwada, lawmakers speaking in PP meeting highlighted the need of reaching out to the Madhes-based parties.

Earlier in the same day, an office bearer meeting of NC decided to intensify talks with Madhes-based parties.

Party General Secretary Prakash Man Singh said there will be continuous talks with Madhes-based parties for the purpose of endorsing the Constitution Amendment Bill.  

The Madhes-based parties, however, are of the view that the Bill does not clearly address their demands.

They had demanded changes in some of the provisions in the Bill before tabling in Parliament.

Dispute resurfaces on active membership

The office bearers’ meeting of Nepali Congress on Thursday discussed about the dispute regarding distribution of the party’s active membership.

The dispute over the selection of the party’s active members resurfaced after some Central Working Committee (CWC) members voiced their objection on the report presented by leader Narahari Acharya.

The Acharya-led committee was formed with a purpose to settle the selection dispute. The CWC is deliberating on the report, but there are conflicting views inside the party.

In 2010, there were 316,000 active members. The committee has, however, proposed increasing that number to 470,655 for the upcoming convention. More than 24 districts have witnessed disputes over active membership.

The delay in finalising active membership is likely to affect the party’s village, regional and district-level conventions. The rival camps are competing to distribute membership to local cadres loyal to them.

Only active members are entitled to vote during the party’s general convention that elects the party president and central leadership. NC top leaders, including President Sushil Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel, are also holding discussions among themselves to resolve the dispute.