Legislators In Nepal Fight Physically Over Proposal For A New Constitution.

Inside the Nepalese parliament yesterday after a session to decide the country's new constitution descended,there who house broke into violence.
Three parliamentarians - including Khadga Prasad Oli, leader of the ruling party - were injured during the scuffle, alongside three security staff who tried to intervene.




Six people were injured - including the leader of Nepal's ruling party - after a fight broke out during a late-night session of the country's parliament yesterday





Leaders of the Maoist parties began throwing microphones and chairs during talks on the country's constitution. They are bitterly opposed to the current proposals, which they say will marginalise them

 


Fighting broke out after members of the minority Maoist party hurled furniture and microphones at the house speaker during a session in the capital Kathmandu.
The punch-up began at the end of an all-night session of parliament aimed at drawing up a new constitution, which is due to be signed into law on Thursday.

With the ruling coalition and opposition parties at loggerheads, the speaker proposed a vote on the constitution, as opposed to getting all 605 MPs to agree unanimously.
That prompted leaders of the Maoist parties to hurl their microphones, followed shortly by their tables and chairs, as they are fiercely opposed to the current proposals.
The latest draft of the constitution has the backing of around two thirds of the country's MPs, meaning that it would likely pass any ballot.

But Maoists fear that, as the legislation stands, it would marginalise their parties. They are calling for new provinces to be created which would give them greater power.
Nepal has been trying to agree a new constitution since 2006 when the Maoists ended their armed rebellion. There have been six prime ministers and two elections since, but nothing has yet been agreed





The violence broke out after the speaker suggested a vote on the new constitution, which is backed by around two thirds of the 605 MPs. But Maoists argue that any legislation should be agreed by all
The anger spilled out on to the streets after parliament shut following the fighting, with the Maoist parties announcing a general strike which shut down schools, factories, and markets.
Police in the Himalayan nation say they arrested 19 people for vandalising buses, trucks and cars as they tried to stop people from travelling to work.
Images in Nepalese media showed piles of tires burning in the streets of the capital as demonstrators gathered, with the normally busy roads virtually empty.
Nepal has been in a state of political crisis since 2006 when the Maoists ended their armed insurgency against the state, and agree to join the country's parliament.






Political leaders had set a deadline of Thursday for any new legislation to be agreed, but with parliament adjourned until later today, that seems unlikely




Since the fighting broke out the Maoists have called a general strike in the capital Kathmandu (pictured) shutting down schools, factories and markets
Since then Nepal has had two elections and six prime ministers, but nobody has been able to break the political deadlock and agree how the new state should be run.
Officially the current batch of MPs have until 2018 to draw up a new constitution, but had hoped to push the legislation through sooner, as the uncertainty has been hurting Nepal's economy.
Annual growth in the fledgling nation has dropped from 6.1 per cent in 2008 to 3.6 per cent in 2013, according to World Bank data.

source Mailonline