Assembly in Nepal Approves New Constitution

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/world/asia/assembly-in-nepal-approves-new-constitution.html

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KATHMANDU — Nepal’s Constituent Assembly overwhelmingly approved a new Constitution on Wednesday night after years of delay because of disagreements among major political parties.

It was approved by 507 of 601 lawmakers in the assembly. Several members from smaller parties boycotted the vote.

The process leading up to Wednesday’s vote met with a wall of protest from people in Nepal’s southern plains, who object to the drawing of seven provinces, one of the most contentious issues surrounding the charter.

Ethnic Madhesi and Tharu people and their political leaders say their political voice will be diluted as a result of the way the provinces have been drawn. At least 40 people have died in southern and western areas of Nepal in protests related to the document since Aug. 10. Many Madhesis and Tharus live in those areas, and shutdowns of schools and workplaces have paralyzed daily life there.

On Tuesday, four people, including a 4-year-old boy, died when police officers fired rubber bullets on a protesting crowd in the southern district of Rupandehi, said Bishnu Prasad Dhakal, the chief district officer there. He said more than 1,000 people had gathered outside a police station, some of them throwing stones and firebombs.

Nepal has had an interim Constitution since 2007. Its new Constitution is scheduled to be formally put into effect by President Ram Baran Yadav on Sunday.