KATHMANDU, July 9: CPN-UML has withdrawn from the government's task force formed to prepare a discussion paper on constitutional amendments, accusing the panel of pursuing an unclear agenda and raising issues that could undermine the spirit of the federal democratic republic.
In a letter addressed to the task force coordinator, UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel said the party had formally recalled its representative, Dr Bhishma Adhikari, who had initially joined the panel formed by a Cabinet decision.
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Pokharel said the task force's proceedings had been questionable from the outset, arguing that the scope of the proposed constitutional amendments had never been clearly defined. He also said the government had failed to clarify its position on the Constitution's fundamental structure, while some of the issues brought up for discussion ran counter to the principles of the federal democratic republic.
The UML reiterated that it supports constitutional amendments aimed at strengthening the Constitution's core provisions and addressing shortcomings seen in its implementation. However, it said the task force appeared to be moving in a direction that could alter the Constitution's basic framework, prompting the party to withdraw from the process.
Pokharel said the government had yet to provide clear answers to the concerns repeatedly raised by the UML, leading the party to formally pull its representative out of the task force.
