KATHMANDU, NEPAL, September 14, 2015 (Daily Star): Nepal’s Constituent Assembly rejected calls to revert the Himalayan nation to a Hindu state during voting Monday on a draft of the country’s long-delayed new constitution, sparking violent protests.
The constitution has been delayed by years of disagreements between Nepal’s main political parties, and the voting on the draft – expected to take at least a couple of days – is seen as major progress. The three main parties finally reached an agreement this year, enabling the process to move on after years of stalemate. Nepal has had an interim constitution since pro-democracy protests forced then-King Gyanendra to give up authoritarian rule and turn the country into a republic. The new constitution proposes to split Nepal into seven federal provinces. Some ethnic groups disagree with the makeup, borders and size of the provinces.