Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KATHMANDU1281
2008-12-15 10:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
NEPAL: SIXTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REGARDING
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C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001281
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: SIXTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REGARDING
BY-ELECTIONS APPROVED
Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d)
Constitution Amended; By-Election Language Spelled Out
--------------------------------------------- ----------
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001281
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: SIXTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REGARDING
BY-ELECTIONS APPROVED
Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d)
Constitution Amended; By-Election Language Spelled Out
-------------- --------------
1. (U) On December 11, Nepal's Constituent Assembly (CA)
overwhelmingly approved the sixth set of amendments to the
Interim Constitution from January 2007. The 6th Amendment
made the following substantive changes:
-- Authorized the President (vice the Prime Minister) to call
the CA into session if at least one-fourth of the MPs request
a session (Article 51). (Note: In all other instances, the
President calls the session on the recommendation of the
Prime Minister. End Note.)
-- Elaborated on which vacancies were covered by by-elections
and revised the cut-off date for determining who could vote
in the by-elections from mid-December 2006 to mid-April 2008
(Article 63),allowing those who turned 18 since 2006 to vote.
Comment
--------------
2. (C) Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety told Emboff
December 11 that he expected the by-elections in the six
constituencies where there are vacancies to take place in the
March to April time frame, roughly a year after the April
2007 Constituent Assembly election. Five of the seats are
vacant because candidates won two first-past-the-post races
and had to give up one seat. The sixth vacancy came about
when Ram Baran Yadav gave up his CA seat in July to become
President. It is disappointing, to say the least, that the
by-elections are unlikely to happen until a full year since
the CA election. With that lack of progress as a benchmark,
it certainly doesn't bode well for the constitution-drafting
process -- which also has not yet begun seven months after
the CA was first seated.
POWELL
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: SIXTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REGARDING
BY-ELECTIONS APPROVED
Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d)
Constitution Amended; By-Election Language Spelled Out
-------------- --------------
1. (U) On December 11, Nepal's Constituent Assembly (CA)
overwhelmingly approved the sixth set of amendments to the
Interim Constitution from January 2007. The 6th Amendment
made the following substantive changes:
-- Authorized the President (vice the Prime Minister) to call
the CA into session if at least one-fourth of the MPs request
a session (Article 51). (Note: In all other instances, the
President calls the session on the recommendation of the
Prime Minister. End Note.)
-- Elaborated on which vacancies were covered by by-elections
and revised the cut-off date for determining who could vote
in the by-elections from mid-December 2006 to mid-April 2008
(Article 63),allowing those who turned 18 since 2006 to vote.
Comment
--------------
2. (C) Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety told Emboff
December 11 that he expected the by-elections in the six
constituencies where there are vacancies to take place in the
March to April time frame, roughly a year after the April
2007 Constituent Assembly election. Five of the seats are
vacant because candidates won two first-past-the-post races
and had to give up one seat. The sixth vacancy came about
when Ram Baran Yadav gave up his CA seat in July to become
President. It is disappointing, to say the least, that the
by-elections are unlikely to happen until a full year since
the CA election. With that lack of progress as a benchmark,
it certainly doesn't bode well for the constitution-drafting
process -- which also has not yet begun seven months after
the CA was first seated.
POWELL