The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has called central committee meeting on Saturday to discuss on the Constitution amendment bill.
NC Spokesperson Bishwo Prakash Sharma told Setopati that the meeting to be held at the party's central office in Sanepa will discuss the issue of Constitution amendment.
The party after its office-bearers meeting on Sunday had said Nepal's unhindered rights on the encroached territory of Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh should be established, and urged the government to take high level diplomatic and political initiative to that regard.
The party has called the central committee meeting four days after the office-bearers meeting decided to soon convene central committee meeting to take necessary decision on the issue of Constitution amendment proposed by the government.
Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli had called an all-party meeting Tuesday evening to discuss the Constitution amendment bill. NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba during the all-party meeting said the party will take decision after discussion in the central committee as per the decision of office-bearers meeting. "We believe that forging national consensus on the issue like Constitution amendment will make national unity stronger," Deuba had stated.
The party had already welcomed the publication of new map and Deuba reiterated that during the all-party meeting.
The proposed schedule prepared by the parliament secretariat had mentioned that Law Minister Shiva Maya Tungbahamphe will present the bill on Wednesday. But the issue was removed from the business schedule before start of the meeting Wednesday.
Some CPN leaders said the issue was removed from the schedule pointing that NC has demanded time. NC had taken exception to being blamed for removal of the issue from the schedule.
"Trying to disseminate information from the top level in a way that the the issue was removed from the schedule on pretext of NC seeking time when the party had already informed the all-party meeting about taking an institutional decision on the Constitution amendment bill through the central committee meeting is planned, condemnable and unacceptable," Spokesperson Sharma had said.
Sharma had expressed regret over the attitude of the ruling party to put the amendment process on hold due to some other reasons and blaming the main opposition party for that. "NC had neither demanded removal of the proposal for Constitution amendment from the proposed schedule neither our lawmakers in the parliamentary party had received prior information. We, therefore, urge everyone to be careful to the intention behind that," Sharma had added.
Sharma reasoned that the party has decided to take a call on the issue through central committee meeting to take an institutional decision on the matter when asked why the meeting needed to be called over the issue.
"We urge all the parties to take decision after discussion in their central committee as far as possible," he stated. "Decision on such grave issues should not be taken merely by 10 leaders or the Cabinet. We want to discuss the issue in the central committee as we don't want anyone to have a different opinion on such important issue. We want other parties to discuss it in their central committee."
The government has registered the Constitution amendment bill to amend the schedule of the Constitution, wherein the map in the coat of arms does not include the territory including Limpiyadhura, to implement the new map.
Constitution amendment requires two-third majority of the House. The ruling CPN is just short of two-third majority but the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has already pledged to support the amendment.
Madhes-based parties, Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJP) and Socialist Party Nepal, have been saying the government should also include their demands for Constitution amendment while amending it for implementation of the new map.
The government on May 20 published the new map including Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura. The territorial area of Nepal has increased by 335 square kilometers with inclusion of the territory up to Limpyadhura.
The government on May 18 passed the new map including Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura.
Inauguration of the Indian road via Lipu Lekh on May 8 has been widely criticized by the ruling and opposition parties alike.
The Foreign Ministry has already expressed regret over the unilateral construction and urged India to refrain from carrying out any activity inside the territory of Nepal. It then summoned the Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra and handed a diplomatic note conveying Nepal's position on the issue.
Nepal has consistently maintained that as per the Sugauli Treaty (1816), all the territories east of Kali (Mahakali) River, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh, belong to Nepal.
Nepal had also expressed its disagreement in 2015 through separate diplomatic notes addressed to the governments of both India and China when the two sides agreed to include Lipu Lekh Pass as a bilateral trade route without Nepal’s consent in the Joint Statement issued on 15 May 2015 during the official visit of the Prime Minister of India to China.
