KATHMANDU: Protests by Nepal’s opposition lawmakers threw parliament into chaos on Friday after emergency talks failed to secure agreement on a new national constitution before a midnight deadline expired.

As parliament opened, opposition lawmakers led by former Maoist rebels shouted slogans and stormed into the well of the main chamber, refusing to allow ruling party politicians to propose a vote on disputed issues in the charter. “Announce a constitution based on consensus,” lawmakers chanted.

Nepal’s parties have spent years locked in a stalemate over the charter while political power plays have obstructed efforts to reach an agreement, analysts say.

As political rifts have widened, with lawmakers this week hurling chairs and scuffling in parliament, the impoverished Himalayan nation has sunk deeper into paralysis and anger has spilled over on to the streets.

Parliament Speaker Subhash Nembang told opposition lawmakers on Friday to end their protests and urged them to hammer out an agreement or be prepared for a vote, before adjourning the assembly until Sunday.

“People want answers from us, they are watching us and they are waiting”, Nembang said.

The constitution was intended to conclude a peace process begun in 2006 when Maoist guerrillas entered politics, ending a decade-long insurgency that left an estimated 16,000 people dead. But six prime ministers and two elections later, political infighting has crippled efforts to resolve the deadlock, analysts say.

“Individual leaders are cynically holding the constitution hostage to their petty interests... they are basically jockeying for future positions as PM and president while negotiating our future,” said Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times weekly.

Published in Dawn January 24th , 2015

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