Banking News – A government-appointed task force responsible for preparing a discussion paper on constitutional amendments has reached the final stage of drafting its report, despite the withdrawal of representatives from several opposition political parties.

The task force, coordinated by Asim Shah, political advisor to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, is expected to submit its report to the Prime Minister within the extended deadline granted by the government.

However, representatives from the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP), who had participated in the task force for 83 days, formally withdrew from the process on July 6, 2026 (22 Asar 2083), arguing that the ongoing constitutional amendment initiative should be scrapped.

According to Shah, the opposition representatives had actively participated in discussions and consultations with various stakeholders throughout the three-month process without raising objections regarding the preparation of the discussion paper.

“They did not oppose the process during the previous 83 days. Their decision to withdraw at the final stage appears to be an attempt to derail the task force,” Shah said. He further claimed that the parties feared the government’s popularity could increase if the recommendations gathered from experts and stakeholders were incorporated into the final document.

The opposition parties had demanded that the government publicly commit to preserving the Constitution’s preamble and fundamental principles before proceeding with any amendment discussions, while also seeking clarity on the specific provisions proposed for amendment and the reasons behind them.

Shah rejected those concerns, stating that Nepal’s Constitution already safeguards its fundamental principles and that the task force had repeatedly affirmed it would not recommend changes to the Constitution’s basic structure.

Task force member and Member of Parliament Mohanlal Acharya also criticized the withdrawal, describing it as an irresponsible move at a crucial stage of the constitutional review process.

Meanwhile, Pushkar Sapkota, Secretary for Law at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, said all parliamentary parties had been invited to participate in the task force based on their own request and stressed that the discussion paper aims to strengthen—not weaken—constitutional supremacy.

The task force includes representatives from parliamentary political parties, other political organizations, and government legal officials. Member Secretary Liladhar Subedi stated that the process has remained transparent, democratic, and consultative, warning that abandoning the discussions at the final stage could send a negative message to the public and undermine confidence in political parties.

Despite the opposition’s withdrawal, Shah said the task force remains committed to submitting the report within the stipulated timeframe.

The task force has consulted constitutional experts, legal scholars, politicians, civil society representatives, women’s rights advocates, former attorneys general, former civil servants, and other stakeholders. It has also collected suggestions from approximately 44,700 citizens in Nepal and abroad through an online consultation process and reviewed reports prepared by various committees of the former Constituent Assembly.