Nepal’s much-awaited Constitution Amendment Bill which includes proportionate representation and allocation of parliamentary seats on the basis of population – two major demands of agitating Indian-origin Madhesi parties – was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.
The Reconstruction Authority Bill which was also tabled will help expedite post-earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation works in the country.
The main opposition, Nepali Congress, had been obstructing the government’s move to table the Reconstruction bill alone, while NC had insisted that both the bills should be tabled simultaneously.
Chairman of Bill Committee, Ganga Chaudhary tabled the bill related to Reconstruction Authority while Minister of Law, Agni Kharel tabled the Constitution Amendment Bill.
However, lawmakers of the Madhesi parties had opposed the move saying that they want the major parties to first address their demands related to re-demarcation of provincial boundaries, before tabling the Constitution Amendment Bill.
Nepali Congress lawmaker Nabindra Raj Joshi said the Constitution Amendment Bill was tabled in the Parliament to address the demands put forth by the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front.
If the bill is endorsed by Parliament, it would help in resolving the ongoing crisis in southern Nepal, he said.
Meanwhile, a team headed by Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Democratic (MPRF-D) and Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar met Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and urged him to implement the eight-point agreement the party had reached with the government earlier.
The memorandum submitted to Oli contains demands to declare those who died during Terai-Madhes agitation as martyrs, provide rightful compensation to those whose houses and property were destroyed and looted and withdraw cases filed against Madhesi party cadres.
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