Kathmandu – New constitutional amendments to address the demands of protesters who claimed the charter was discriminatory were put forward by Nepal’s government Wednesday, a parliamentary spokesman said.
The move, which came following weeks of negotiations between leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, is aimed at resolving political deadlock that has reigned since Nepal promulgated a post-war constitution in September 2015.
The disagreement has seen deadly protests by ethnic Madhesis living along the country’s southern plains. They demand greater representation in state institutions and two federal states in the region.
The protesters objected to a constitutional provision which assigned the community only one federal state in the region they call home. They also demanded that the constitution ensure equal rights to their members.
Bharat Gautam, a parliamentary spokesman, said the government late Tuesday registered the proposed amendments. They must now be considered in the legislature, which must approve them with a two-thirds majority.
Ramesh Lekhak, a minister for physical infrastructure and transport, said the amendment was necessary for elections and implementing the constitution.
“The move will make the constitution acceptable to a broad section of our society. I don’t see any reason to oppose the amendments,” he said.
But the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), the main opposition in the parliament, has denounced the amendments. Members protested in several districts that were carved out to create a new federal state in the country’s south-western region.
The Madhesi protesters waged months-long demonstrations last year, closing the vital border trade with India and leaving more than 50 people dead.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who came to power in August, pledged to meet the protesters’ demand by amending the constitution.