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Nepalese oppositions obstruct parliament over constitution amendment proposal

Xinhua, December 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Four opposition parties of Nepal has obstructed the parliament session in protest against the constitution amendment proposal recently tabled by the government.

The opposition parties included Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist Leninist), Rashtriya Janamorcha Party Nepal and Nepal Workers Peasants' Party.

The oppositions counter-protest has come two days after the government tabled the constitution amendment proposal at the parliament to meet grievances of ethnic Madhesi communities who have been agitated for more than a year.

CPN (UML) Vice Chairman Bamdev Gautam said on Thursday that his party will not let the House Proceedings move ahead stating that the government's proposal to amend the constitution was anti-national.

"The government has brought the constitution amendment proposal to split the Hill region from the Terai which is not acceptable for us at all," Gautam said.

With the disruption from the opposition parties, House Speaker Onsari Gharti, announced postponement of the House session until 3 p.m. (local time) on Friday.

Meanwhile, Madhes-based parties, who have been running agitation under the banner of United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), have refused to back the constitution amendment proposal saying that it was not acceptable in its current form, in a blow to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's ongoing efforts to achieve reconciliation with groups agitating over the national charter.

Earlier on Tuesday, government registered the proposal at the House to amend its new constitution to carve out a new state in Western part of Nepal to meet the demands of the ethnic Madhesi community. The government requires a two-thirds majority in the parliament to pass the proposal.

Anti-government protests have been spread up in different parts of Nepal on Thursday against the constitution amendment proposal.

The government tabled the proposal at the House for the second time after promulgation of new constitution in September last year.

Nepal introduced the new constitution on September 20 last year after it became secular republic in 2008 with the overthrow of the 240-year Monarchy. Endit