Over two-third of Nepali lawmakers submit signatures demanding voting

More than two-third lawmakers on Friday submitted signatures to Chairman of the Constituent Assembly Subhas Nembang exerting pressure on him to promulgate the new constitution through voting.

Youth lawmakers of ruling parties -- Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN (ML) including various fringe parties submitted 413 signatures of lawmakers, which is more than two-third of the seats of Nepal's 601-member legislative body -- the Constituent Assembly.

On the occasion, the CA chairman said that the signature campaign has further encouraged him to work in promulgating the new statute within days.

The youth lawmakers' push to go for voting came at a time when Nepal's political parties have just six days left to meet the stipulated Jan. 22 deadline for drafting the new statute.

Talking to Xinhua on Friday morning, Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Thapa said that they have submitted 413 lawmakers' signatures to the CA chairman as there is very slim chance for promulgating the new statute through consensus. "We are hopeful that it will put pressure on the parties to promulgate the new statute before Jan. 22," he said.

Opposition and ruling parties of the Himalayan country are still at loggerheads over the key contentious issues concerning the new constitution even the self-imposed deadline is approaching.

However, ruling parties claim that they would make last-ditch efforts to come up with the first draft of the new statute. Endi