Opposition parties on Tuesday decided to continue with House obstruction until the government withdrew the constitution amendment bill.

A meeting of eight opposition parties led by the CPN-UML also decided to intensify their protest to mount pressure on the ruling coalition to roll back the bill from Parliament. They also agreed to make constitution amendment their key agenda in the upcoming elections.

The opposition parties have a combined strength of around 200 votes in Parliament—enough to block two-thirds majority needed to pass the constitution amendment bill should it put to vote.

After registering the bill, the UML-led opposition has been obstructing Parliament calling the constitution amendment bill as “anti-national”.

UML Chief Whip Bhanubhakta Dhakal said that the opposition parties agreed to go ahead with the House obstruction and other protest programmes until the bill was rolled back. “We are ready to extend all possible support to the government for holding the election if it is ready to withdraw the amendment bill,” he added.

Following the meeting, Rastriya Janamorcha Chairman and former Deputy Prime Minister Chitra Bahadur KC termed the constitution amendment proposal tabled at Parliament wrong, saying that there were no alternatives for the government than to withdraw it.

He cautioned that the agitation would continue until the bill is withdrawn. “The people and lawmakers from Province 5 do not want constitution amendment, the government is creating a headache for nothing,” KC said.

The meeting was attended by leaders of CPN-UML, CPN (ML), Rastriya Janamorcha, Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party (NWPP), Nepal Parivar Dal, Nepa Party, Rastriya Janamukti Loktantrik and Madhes Samata Party.

Veep Pun presses for statute implementationChitwan: Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun has suggested the political parties that they accelerated the preparations for elections to implement constitution effectively.

Speaking at the inauguration of the national civil conference here on Tuesday, Pun called on the parties to narrow their differences by forging consensus with continuous dialogue and discussion.

“Only unity among parties could forward activities of the national agenda.” (RSS)