Nepal PM likely to table Constitution Amendment Bill today

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is likely to present the Constitution Amendment Bill in Parliament today after the Madhes-based parties renewed their pledge to support the holding of local elections.

An agreement was reached on Saturday between senior leaders of the CPN (Maoist Centre) and leaders from the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha during a meeting held at the Prime Minister's Baluwatar residence, reports the Kathmandu Post.

The meeting comes a day after Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba assured the Morcha leaders of taking the amendment process forward.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Prime Minister Dahal said the Morcha leadership agreed to his proposal of holding the local, provincial and federal elections within January 2018, the constitutional deadline.

The government is now left with a daunting task of bringing the main opposition CPN-UML on board the larger political process. The second largest party has been obstructing parliamentary proceedings for a month pressing the government to roll back the amendment bill.

In addition, Saturday's agreement also fails to specify what road the agitating parties would take if the amendment bill fails to garner a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Meanwhile, Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Vice-chairman Hridayesh Tripathi said the agitating parties would decide their move depending on the fate of the bill.

Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato said the Morcha would not take part in the elections without the amendments. He said they would stick to this position until the UML supports the bill.