Nepal: Maoists to boycott constituent assembly

Opposition Maoists in Nepal on Wednesday decided to boycott the constituent assembly as protest against the move by ruling parties to promulgate the constitution by majority vote.

Updated on: Jan 29, 2015, 02:34:09 IST

By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Opposition Maoists in Nepal on Wednesday decided to boycott the constituent assembly as protest against the move by ruling parties to promulgate the constitution by majority vote.

Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the main opposition party, which leads the 30-party alliance seeking constitution through consensus, announced the move after a meeting of its parliamentary committee.

Party leader Agni Sapkota stated constituent assembly members from UCPN(M) would abstain from all proceedings of the assembly and also be absent at parliamentary committee meetings.

Instead representatives have been asked to go to their respective constituencies to strengthen the protest programmes and inform the masses about the unilateral move by ruling parties to draft the new statute through vote.

The opposition alliance has already announced protests and mass demonstrations across the country till February 28.

While the opposition parties are hardening their stance, the ruling parties have invited the former for talks and are hopeful the deadlock over the new constitution will be resolved soon.

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala stated on Wednesday that the ongoing impasse will end with talks.

Opposition and ruling parties are divided on four issues, judiciary, federalism and types of government and election, in the new statute. The former wants consensus on them while the latter seeks to settle them through vote.

The deadlock resulted in lawmakers missing the January 22 deadline of promulgating the constitution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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