Kathmandu -- Lawmakers of the opposition parties, mainly the UCPN (Maoist), have obstructed the Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting yet again. After the opposition lawmakers resorted to vandalism in the previous CA meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 1 pm Sunday but began only after midnight on Monday, the CA Chair Subhas Nembang put an end to it abruptly. He had called another CA meeting for Tuesday afternoon.

Opposition lawmakers shout slogans to disrupt the CA meeting Opposition lawmakers shout slogans to disrupt the CA meeting on Tuesday. Pic: Bikram Rai

As soon as the CA meeting began on Tuesday, the opposition lawmakers, including the UCPN (Maoist) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice Chair Baburam Bhattarai, got up from their seats and started shouting slogans.

Marshals had to form a human chain to stop the agitated lawmakers from marching towards the CA Chair Nembang. In the previously-halted CA meeting, at least three marshals were injured when the agitated lawmakers threw their micro-phones.

The opposition lawmakers are up in arms against the proposed formation of a questionnaire committee in the CA.

Formation of questionnaire committee is the beginning of a process for putting the opposing proposals for a vote.

After the ruling NC and UML failed to reach a consensus, with the UCPN (Maoist) led alliance of 30 opposition parties, they want to pass the new constitution through a voting process now. The UCPN (Maoist) has objected to the voting process by calling nationwide shutdown on Tuesday and obstructing the house.

The opposing proposals by the ruling and the opposition parties differ mainly on the issues of basis of creating federal units, model of judiciary, electoral system and form of governance.

The UCPN (Maoist) Chair Dahal has said that they have narrowed down differences on model of judiciary and electoral system, and are even ready to compromise on form of governance. But, they are yet to agree on the basis and number of new federal units.

The opposition parties say ethnic identity should be the basis of creating federal units. On the other hand, the ruling parties say using ethnic identity to carve out federal units will create partition and affect social harmony