Lawmakers raise hands to endorse articles on the new constitution at the Constituent Assembly. Pic: Bikram RaiNepal's new constitution will be promulgated on Sunday, 20 September, a deputy spokesperson of the Constituent Assembly (CA) has said.
Sudarshan Kuinkel told reporters the president would present the constitution at 5 pm on Sunday. CA Chairman Subas Nembang is expected to invite President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to the ceremony tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the CA has endorsed as many as 57 articles of the draft constitution by Monday evening. The CA session has been adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, 10 AM.
Articles 1 and 2 were endorsed unanimously and Article 3 by majority vote on Sunday evening. Monday’s session has endorsed 34 articles.
The lawmakers also voted in favour of the national flag, animal and bird to remain as they are while the proposal of Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) Chairman Kamal Thapa on restoring Nepal as a Hindu nation was rejected by the majority.
Except 64 lawmakers from Madhes-based parties, the sessions were attended by all CA members including those from RPP-N, who had earlier threatened to boycott the voting process.
Five Nepali Congress (NC) lawmakers representing Madhes however walked out mid-session claiming the CA hadn’t met the agendas put forth by the Tharus and Madhesis. Three of them apart from Surendra Prasad Chaudhary and Amresh Kumar Singh have since returned to the CA.
Following the rejection to reinstate a Hindu state, activists demanding a Hindu nation have taken to the streets at Baneswor. The situation got tensed after the Hindu activists clashed with the police and tried to enter the prohibited area. They also vandalised a vehicle belonging to the United Nations (UN).