Govt. registers second amendment bill on constitution at Parliament

After approving second amendment bill on Interim Constitution, the government registered the bill at the interim legislature-parliament on Wednesday. A cabinet meeting held at Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s official residence Baluwatar approved the bill and registered it at parliament for promulgation.

The second amendment will incorporate the decision to hold elections in November end, the eight-party decision to reassess the Election Constituency Delineation Commission (ECDC) report and the agreements reached to address the demands of various agitating groups.

The previous bill regarding holding the CA elections on June 20 is being rolled back after the Election Commission (EC) announced that the elections were not possible by that date.

Top leaders of the eight political parties had recently agreed to reschedule the CA polls though it was to be held by mid June according to the interim constitution. Eight party alliance had agreed to hold CA polls by November-December as the EC expressed its inability to conduct election by mid-June due to lack of sufficient time for preparation, necessary laws and conducive atmosphere for holding election in free and fair manner.

The cabinet meeting also decided to bar 202 persons indicted by the Rayamajhi commission from claiming candidacy in CA polls. The meeting also asked the election constituency delineation commission to start reviewing its decisions.

Dispute surrounds Parliament

Maoist lawmakers expressed their strong opposition to the Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s remarks over Maoist affiliated Young Communist League (YCL). They also said PM’s statement was condemnable.  They defended that the ‘arrest’ of Sitaram Prasai, a fraud-accused banker, by the YCL and his subsequent handing over to the police was not illegal.

PM Koirala on Monday had said that YCL appears to be as ‘young criminal league’ for him. Speaking in the house, the Maoist lawmakers spent their time much in blaming PM while some other lawmakers supported PM Koirala.
 
Maoist MP Mahendra Paswan challenged the government to take action against YCL if it could stating that the act of YCL was not illegal. Other Maoist MPs said the statement by Koirala was condemnable and demanded that he answered the House in person and withdraw his remarks leveling the YCL as a criminal group.

Lawmakers of other parties said that though arrest of wanted businessman Sitaram Prasain was a good work, the YCL had no legal authority to do so.

MPs Pashupati Shumsher Rana, Kamala Panta and Lila Mani Pokhrel stressed the need to control the activities of the YCL.