The CPN-UML obstructed the meeting of Legislature-Parliament, which was scheduled to start deliberation on the constitution amendment bill, on Tuesday.

A Standing Committee meeting of the main opposition party took a decision earlier to strongly oppose the second constitution amendment proposal that the government tabled in Parliament on Monday.

The meeting held at party Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s residence in Balkot on Tuesday also took strong exception to the government’s plan to hold the second phase of local polls after presenting the fiscal budget.

Concluding that the proposal will lead the nation towards instability, the second largest party demanded that the government immediately withdraw the proposal put forth without building consensus among the major parties.

The UML has decided to draw the Election Commission’s attention to the violation of the election code of conduct by holding the local polls in a majority of the provinces after the new budget, said party Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai.

The party has opposed the agreement the government reached with the regional parties on revising several provisions of the constitution.

UML lawmakers obstructed the House proceedings saying that the decision to further increase the number of local federal units is unacceptable to the party, calling it an attempt to thwart the local polls.

UML MP Ganga Lal Tuladhar told the House that it was unconstitutional to repeatedly change the report of the Local Level Restructuring Commission, a constitutional body.

“The government has issued a circular to the Ministry of Local Development about increasing the number of local levels in four provinces. This is unacceptable. We want the government to clarify it,” said Tuladhar.

The government and the protesting parties have agreed to further increase the number of local units in the four provinces having the Tarai districts in them. Following pressure from the regional parties, the government recently added 21 local units in the eight districts of Province 2.

The government is preparing to add at least 30 more local units across 20 districts of the Tarai/Madhes. The elections in provinces 1, 2, 5 and 7 have been postponed by a month. The next meeting of Parliament has been scheduled for Wednesday.