“The party leadership sought suggestions on how the leadership can address their demand,” NC lawmaker Gagan Thapa said after the party’s top leadership held discussions with the lawmakers at the party’s parliamentary office in Singha Durbar on Thursday.[break]
But since there was a general strike on Thursday called by Brahmin, Chhetri and other caste groups, not all the lawmakers of indigenous origin within the party were present at the meeting.
“The party has taken their demands positively. We will find ways to address their demand through discussions,” said NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat.
The party leadership will continue the discussions on Friday as well. Though the NC has shown its readiness to be flexible over identity-based federal states, the party has stood against preferential political rights for any group of people.
There are a total of 28 NC lawmakers belonging to indigenous communities. Of them, 18 lawmakers had asked the party president Sushil Koirala to show flexibility on the issue of identity-based federal state if indigenous lawmakers from other parties exerted pressure on their party leadership for ethnicity-based province.
Two of its lawmakers from indigenous communities, Indra bahadur Gurung and Jeep Chhiring Lama, on Thursday had attended a meeting of cross-party caucus of lawmakers belonging to Madhesi and indigenous communities.
The party leadership, according to a senior leader, has taken strong exception to their participation in the meeting, flouting party’s discipline.
“A lawmaker, except the independent one, is guided by his party’s manifesto, decisions of the parliamentary party, it’s Central Working Committee and general convention. He has to cast vote in accordance with the party’s decision,” said NC Chief Whip Laxman Ghimire.
“Failure to do so will make the promulgation of new constitution through Constituent Assembly impossible. Such a situation will only invite anarchy and end of party system,” he further said.
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