Nepal's Parliament Amends Constitution with Power to Sack Monarchy, PM
- News Nepal
Kathmandu, June 14: Nepal's parliament on Wednesday amended the nation's five-month-old Interim Constitution, pulling upon it a sweeping power that could even abrogate Monarchy or depose Prime Minister.
The amendment, which the Speaker described as "historic", is the second in five months after the interim statute was introduced in mid-January earlier this year to allow the insurgent Maoist force to join government and the peace process.
The amendment gives concession to the parties' failure to hold Constituent Assembly elections in mid-June, as stipulated earlier, and specifies December as the new deadline to hold the Assembly polls to write new constitution.
The amendment, passed by an overwhelming two-thirds majority (281) of the 329-member Legislature-Parliament, authorizes the House to declare annulment of 239-year-old Institution of Monarchy by a two-thirds majority vote, if it is proved that the Monarchy worked against the projected Constituent Assembly elections.
The amendment, however, retains the provision that the fate of monarchy shall be decided by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly through its simple majority vote.
Wednesday's amendment in the Constitution also curtails the sweeping power granted earlier to the Prime Minister and makes him dismissible through a no-trust motion, if approved by a two-thirds majority.
The amendment was effected Wednesday night, after most parties finally agreed on it. Reports said two members opposed to the amendment proposal while 45 remained absent.
source:
http://nepalhumanrightsnews.com/news.asp?id=926
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