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Kathmandu, Nepal: The government has registered a seven-point constitution amendment bill at the parliament secretariat on Tuesday evening.
The proposed constitution amendment bill has incorporated much more things that the agitating Madhes based parties had demanded including the delineation of the provinces and proportional representation in the state mechanism.
The constitution amendment bill has proposed to spilt six Terai districts namely some parts of Nawalparasi (west of Susta Bardaghat), Rupandehi, Kapilbastu, Dang, Banke and Bardiya are kept in the province number five taking out the six hill districts of Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi, Rukum, Rolpa and Pyuthan. The separated hill districts are proposed to include in the province number four.
The government has registered the constitution amendment proposal notwithstanding the objections from the political parties and the people in general regarding the issue of separating Terai from Hills.
Not only the main opposition party, CPN-UML, but also leaders and member of the parliament represent from the province number five have strongly objected the government’s decision to separate Terail from Hills.
Though the Nepali Congress has not taken any official decision over the issue of delineation of provinces particularly the issue of separating Teria districts from Hills in number five province, the ministers represent to the Nepali Congress in the government have not objected the amendment bill.
A cabinet meeting held on Tuesday evening made the decision to register the constitution amendment proposal in the parliament. Earlier on Tuesday, a meeting of the government head, CPN Maoist Center, had made a decision in line with the constitution amendment proposal.
The Supreme Court had also issued a so cause notice against the government’s attempt to change the provinces.
The cabinet meeting has also decided to form a High-Level Delineation Commission on the name of settling all issues related to the delineation of provinces.
Besides the changes in the provincial delineation, the constitution amendment bill has proposed to revise the basis of representation in the upper house or national assembly.
In the bill, it is proposed that 35 of the total 56 members of the upper house will be elected on the basis of population and three members each will be assured from all provinces.
The amendment proposal has stated over the issue of naturalized citizenship that if foreign woman married to a Nepali national initiates a process to renounce her citizenship of her country of origin, that she will be granted naturalized citizenship. However, it is provisioned that federal law will be effective on the issue of naturalized citizenship.
Over the issue of language, the amendment bill has proposed to keep all languages to be languages of official business after determination from the Language Commission.
