Oli vehemently against amendment bill

Published On: January 7, 2017 09:10 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


Nine opposition parties take to street against constitution amendment
KATHMANDU, Jan 7: Main opposition party CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has threatened  not to let Parliament endorse the constitution amendment bill at any cost. 

Addressing a mass rally of nine opposition political parties at Exhibition Road in Kathmandu, Friday, Oli affirmed that the UML would not allow any 'unconstitutional' proposal to be endorsed from Parliament. 

“The UML will not allow through Parliament any proposal which is against the national interest,” Oli said. “Rest assured that the national interest will not be let down as long as the UML is there.”

Referring to the constitution amendment bill as a proposal against the national interest, Oli claimed that the government had registered the bill only on the instruction of external forces. Oli also compared the amendment proposal to a move in gambling. “Losing a card while gambling means the gambler loses money, and in the same way if we endorse the amendment proposal we will be losing our sovereignty itself,” said Oli. 

He was of the view that if the government fails to hold local, provincial and  parliamentary elections by January 2018, both the government and Parliament will lose their constitutional standing, thus inviting a constitutional crisis. 

In his address, Oli came down heavily against the ruling and Madhes-based political parties. He also termed the amendment proposal a ploy to prolong the life of the present government. “The amendment bill doesn't help conduct elections. The same forces that tried to scrap the new Constitution last year are trying to obstruct polls,” he said. 

The former prime minister also accused Madhes-based political parties of talking about rights for Madhesis but suppressing their mother tongues, including Maithali, Bhojpuri and Awadhi and lobbying instead for Hindi as a language of official business. “They don't represent the voice of Madhes and only use Madhes for their politics,” he said. 

UML Chairman Oli announced that a party march from Mechi in the east to Mahakali in the west would be launched. “I see a drone being used to monitor our rally today, but the next rally should be moniroted by satellite,” he said. 

Also addressing the rally, CPN (ML) General Secretary C P Mainali, Nepal Workers Peasants Party leader Prem Suwal, Rastriya Janamorcha Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC, Chairman of Nepal Family Party Eknath Dhakal, chief of Janamukti Party Loktantrik Shivalal Thapa, lawmaker of Nepa Party Laxman Rajbamsi and Bishwendra Paswan of Bahujan Shakti Party expressed their strong objection to  the constitution amendment bill registered in Parliament. 

“The amendment bill paves the way for an Indian woman to become a minister in this country the same day she marries a Nepali man,” claimed Suwal of NWPP. Likewise, KC of Janamorcha claimed that the amendment bill aims to push Nepal toward Sikkimization. 


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