Nepal parliament to amend constitution, resolve dispute

Ethnic Madhesi leaders have rejected the first amendment of Nepal’s Constitution which was voted upon by the Himalayan nation’s parliament after months of protest by their community.

“Though the constitution amendment bill endorsed by the Parliament yesterday was positive to some extent, it does not address the demands raised by the agitating Madhesi parties in their entirety”, said Rameshwor Raya Yadav, senior Madhesi leader and senior vice-president of Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Democratic. “We hope that other outstanding issues are similarly addressed in a constructive spirit”. Find us on Facebook too!

The amendments, approved with 461 votes against seven in the 601-seat parliament, guarantee more jobs for the Madhesis through a provision of proportionate inclusion to minorities in all government institutions including the army and increase their parliamentary representation by raising the number of electoral constituencies for them.

Though the amendment was made on the name of addressing the concerns of the agitating Madhes based parties, the lawmakers affiliated to the agitating Madhes based parties have still been protesting the amendment.

The Madhes-based parties, who since the country adopted the new charter have been protesting in the Tarai plains, did not participate in the voting.

“Though the step is progressive, it is not enough to meet our demands”, the Madhesi Morcha said in its initial reaction. Three people were killed on Thursday when police opened fire on Madhesi protesters who tried to attack a political rally organized by Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli’s party in a southeast Nepal town.

On 20 September, when the constitution was promulgated, India had only “noted” it expressing displeasure over exclusion of Madhesi parties from the statute drafting process.

Although traffic through most of the trading routes with India resumed after December 21 when India welcomed Nepal’s Cabinet decision to pass the constitutional amendments, the Birgunj-Raxaul trading route that handles over 50 percent of bilateral trade, remains shut and shortage of essentials continues. “It does not even touch our main demand for changing the borders of the provinces”, Karna said. It resulted in severe shortage of fuel and medicines.

Nepal on Saturday amended its new constitution, in an attempt to appease the agitating Madhesis.