All-party meeting at President’s residence witnesses parties’ obduracy

Kathmandu / Dec 4: The political parties have again shown obduracy on their stands during an all-party meeting called by President Bidya Devi Bhandari to discuss current politics on Sunday evening.

The four-hour long discussion attended by the ruling parties, major opposition and the agitating parties was no different from other meetings that saw diverse views and stands from the parties on constitution amendment bill.

The Madhes-centric political parties demanded the revision of the constitution amendment bill, reasoning the bill registered at the Legislature-Parliament could not address their demands.

Chairman of Federal Socialist Party, Upendra Yadav, said until the constitution amendment process was revised, present chaos would not see any change. “If the ruling parties move ahead forcefully, it will invite further crisis. Election at present is impossible,” he warned.

In his response to the demands of Madhes-centric parties, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was learnt to have given assurance that the amendment proposal could be revised on consensus. Such assurance by the Prime Minister has paved the way for dialogues and consensus, he said.

At the meeting, President Bidya Devi Bhandari wished that all political parties would be able to resolve the current problems in the country through collective efforts.

Opposition parties including the CPN (UML) demanded that the constitution amendment proposal be withdrawn as it was brought by the government unilaterally. “The incumbent Parliament has no right to make change in the boundaries of provinces that’s why the proposal should be taken back,” said CP Mainali, General Secretary CPN (ML). The opposition parties claimed that some issues incorporated in the proposal are already in the constitution and the amendment was not necessary.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba called on the political parties to endorse the proposal which according to him was tabled at the Parliament to address the existing problems. RSS