Constitution amendment proposal will be put to vote in within two days: Pun

KATHMANDU, July 30: Leader of the ruling party CPN (Maoist Center) Barsaman Pun has said that the government is preparing to put the currently under-discussion constitution amendment proposal to vote in the legislature-parliament within two days.

“We have already decided to give a conclusion to the proposal,” said Pun while speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Sunday.

“The Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RJPN) should prepare itself to accept the result whatsoever. The ruling parties are candidly trying to gather two-thirds majority in support of the proposal,” he added.

The ruling parties have 392 lawmakers on their side and are shy of three more votes in favor. Currently, the legislature-parliament has 592 members and the bill needs 395 lawmakers to endorse the amendment proposal.

On the other side, the opposition parties need 198 lawmakers to reject the bill. But, they only have 193 lawmakers, and need five more votes to fail the proposal.

While, the agitating RJPN has remained adamant on their stance that the government should address its demands including the endorsement of the amendment proposal currently stuck at the parliament.

“RJPN should carry their carry their agenda to the election even if the proposal fails to get endorsed,” he said adding, “A party’s agenda doesn’t fade away. Any parties should become ready to carry on to their agenda as per the circumstances. We had advocated for a system of government with directly elected executive president; but we showed flexibility on that agenda while promulgating constitution. And now, again our party has decided to carry the same agenda to the election.”

Reckoning that the Madhes-based parties had greater contribution in People’s Movement in Nepal, he argued that the genuine and justifiable demands of the RJPN have to be addressed as soon as possible.

Pun also urged the main opposition party CPN-UML to show some flexibility over the amendment proposal. “UML’s stance that the amendment proposal is anti-nationalist and influenced from foreign interest is only extremist thinking: which UML should give away, he said.

He also argued that there is no alternative to conducting the Province and Federal election on the same day as the deadline is coming near. “We don’t have enough time to conduct elections of Province and Federal separately with the January 21, 2018,” he said.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has already urged the Election Commission to immediately begin preparation for the provincial and federal election stating that both elections will be held on the same day and before the deadline. However, the government is yet to officially announce it.