Deliberations on the Constitution Amendment Bill started in Parliament on Thursday, but lawmakers from the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of four Madhes-based parties, boycotted the process, reiterating that “the bill does not address Madhesi people’s demands”.

Even as major forces on Thursday continued negotiations with the SLMM to reach a deal on contentious issues, including redrawing of boundaries and allocation of constituencies, they have already agreed to endorse the bill during Saturday’s House meeting. The bill, which was registered by the Sushil Koirala-led government in October, was tabled in House on December 15 amid objections from the SLMM and some other parties.

The major forces had earlier slowed down the process and later put it on hold to allow time to their negotiators to find a point of compromise. Taskforces formed by the major forces and the SLMM were engaged in negotiations, but only to hit a blind alley after as many as nine rounds of talks.

Though the major forces—the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the UCPN (Maoist)—and some others, including the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Loktantrik, have said they would endorse the bill even if there is no deal with the Morcha, they are yet to decide as to how they are going to deal with revision proposals.

As many as 103 lawmakers from different parties have registered 24 proposals seeking to amend the bill. Some of the amendments sought by some lawmakers are in line with the Morcha’s demands.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday after Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Agni Prasad Kharel tabled the bill for deliberations, lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties underscored the need to settle Tarai crisis at the earliest.

NC lawmaker Minendra Rijal said population and geography should be made two major bases for delineating electoral constituencies. He said amendment proposals registered by him and other nine lawmakers are balanced and reasonable, which would address the demands of Madhesi people. Bimalendra Nidhi, another NC lawmaker, said that population should be made the sole basis for constituency delineation. “But representation of remote districts should be ensured,” said Nidhi. “Solution to Tarai crisis can be found if 83 electoral constituencies in the Madhes region and 82 in hilly and mountainous regions are ensured,” he added.

UML leader Daljit BK Sripali said that at least one electoral constituency should be ensured for 14 remote and mountainous districts. Prem Suwal of Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party, however, took exception to the entire constitution amendment process, saying: “The constitution is being amended to appease foreign forces. We will not accept constituency delineation on the basis of population.”

Lawmakers Durga Poudel, Formullha Mansur, Ram Narayan Bidari, Yogendra Chaudhary, Cham Bahadur Gurung, Rupa Maharjan, Romy Gauchan Thakali, Ongi Sherpa and Tulsa Rana, among others, also aired their views at the House meeting.