Lawmakers from the UCPN (Maoist) have disrupted the House since Sunday, demanding the prime minister present himself in parliament and clarify if the government plans to import arms from India. [break]
During a meeting between the ruling political parties and the UCPN (Maoist), Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had agreed to deliver a speech in the House clarifying that the government doesn´t plan to import arms from India. “We sought the prime minister´s commitment in parliament not to import arms until the peace process reaches its logical conclusion, besides drawing the government´s attention to other issues,” said Maoist leader Narayankaji Shrestha.
The Maoists had also demanded that Laxman Raya Yadav, who was shot dead by an unidentified group in Rautahat Sunday, be declared a martyr, and medication and relief packages be provided for Jajarkot and surrounding districts where around 200 people have died in a diarrhea outbreak.
But the negotiations failed to make headway after the Madhes-based parties threatened to disrupt the House meeting over the SC decision nullifying Vice President Jha´s oath-taking.
“The SC decision is anti-progressive and may lead to the disintegration of society,” said Tarai Madhes Democratic Party leader Jitendra Prasad Sonar, who participated in the meeting.
He said the vice president should not be compelled to take his oath of office in Nepali, and the political parties should look for other ways to solve the problem amicably. “The constitution should be amended if necessary,” Sonar argued.
The political parties agreed to solve the problem through dialogue and consensus. “We said the protectors of the constitution should abide by constitutional provisions. But if the constitutional provisions are wrong, we can correct them,” said UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel.
The SC on Friday nullified the oath of office and secrecy by Vice President Jha, saying that the oath taken in Hindi was unconstitutional.
Drawing much controversy and many street protests, Jha had taken the oath in Hindi on July 23, 2008. President Dr Ram Baran Yadav had read out the oath in Nepali but Jha translated and said it in Hindi, prompting advocate Bal Krishna Neupane to move the Supreme Court to nullify the oath-taking.
The political parties are holding a meeting Tuesday morning to solve the problem.
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