Maoists, UML back each other’s proposals; House passes Maoist motion on PR system
The CPN (Maoist) withdrew its proposal on republic and voted in favour of the amendment proposal [on the same issue] filed by the CPN (UML) as failed political deliberations finally led to a parliamentary voting Sunday evening.
The House passed the UML’s amendment motion on republic and the Maoists’ motion for adopting proportional representation based voting system, by a simple majority.
The UML amendment motion seeks announcement of republic from the House and take steps for the implementation of republican system at the earliest.
The two motions were put to vote following an intense debate in the House.
Two fringe communist parties - Chitra Bahadur K.C-led Janamorcha Nepal and CPN (Marxist Leninist) - didn’t participate in the voting claiming neutrality while the Nepali Congress voted against both the proposals.
The Maoists and the UML together make up majority in the parliament, but an amendment in the interim constitution, if the two issues are to be incorporated, will require 2/3 majority.
Speaking at the House before the voting, Nepali Congress lawmaker Mahesh Acharya had said his party was against the idea of announcing republic form the parliament and adopting PR-based voting system and would therefore vote against the proposals of the Maoists and the UML.
The special session, which was to begin at 2:00 pm, was delayed by over three hours with the leaders engaging in last-minute discussions for a consensus.
A meeting of senior leaders of the seven parties held at Prime Minister’s residence at Baluwatar in the afternoon had ended inconclusively with the Maoists and the Nepali Congress sticking to their respective stances.
nepalnews.com mk Nov 04 07
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