Dispute Resolution Committee – 2007
2007
A joint mechanism was used to amend the interim constitution three times in 2007 (the First Amendment on 13 April 2007, the Second Amendment on 13 June 2007 and the Third Amendment on 28 December 2007). These constitutional amendments contained provisions regarding the removal of the prime minister and the king. The provisions mandated that a two-third vote of the interim legislature could remove the prime minister and king should they pose an obstacle to the Constituent Assembly elections.[fn]”Secretary General’s Report to the Security Council,” United Nations (S/2007/235), April 26, 2007.[/efn_note] The Third Amendment ensured Nepal would become a republic; this amendment was implemented during the first session of the CA.[fn]”Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007, As amended by the First, Second and Third Amendments,” UNDP, Nepal.[/efn_note] Both sides agreed to the creation of these amendments. Among these three amendments, the third addressed the MaoistsÕ demands that the country be declared a republic and that a PR electoral system be used in the upcoming elections. The Maoists withdrew from the government in order that these demands were met. This postponed the elections for a second time. Finally, parties reached a 23-point agreement on December 23. In the agreement, parties agreed to distribute the PR and the direct election seats along a 60-40 percentage line. They also agreed to hold elections before mid-April 2008 and that Nepal would be a republic state. These changes were adopted in the third amendment of the interim constitution on 28 December 2007.[fn]”Secretary General’s Report to the Security Council,” United Nations (S/2008/5), January 3, 2008.[/efn_note] After this agreement was reached, the Maoists opted to join the government on 30 December 2007.[fn]Ibid.[/efn_note]