Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Thursday held a meeting with Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Rajendra Lingden and two other leaders from the party.
This was Shah’s first official meeting with a political party as prime minister since assuming office on March 27. The meeting with the pro-monarchy RPP has been seen with great significance in the political circle.
The discussions at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers focused on the constitution amendment task force, the current political situation, and a range of issues related to public welfare.
During the meeting, the RPP expressed its conditional support for the constitution amendment process. Chairman Lingden said his party would be ready to extend constructive support if the government sought to amend or restructure certain provisions of the federal system.
A two-thirds majority is needed in both houses of federal parliament to amend the constitution. RSP, which has 183 lawmakers in the lower house, needs the support of two more lawmakers to reach the two-thirds majority. RPP has five lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
The RSP, however, has no representation in the National Assembly.
However, Prime Minister Shah clarified in the meeting that the task force’s mandate is neither to amend the constitution nor to determine specific amendment agendas. Rather, he said, its role is to hold broad consultations with stakeholders and prepare a discussion paper on constitutional amendment.
Lingden said after the meeting that the RPP also drew the prime minister’s attention to problems in the health insurance scheme, the shortage and distribution of chemical fertilizers for farmers, and taxes imposed on essential services such as education, healthcare and electricity.
He added that the party also urged the government to address the healthcare, housing and daily livelihood problems faced by landless squatters currently staying in various holding centres.
RPP Senior Vice Chairman Buddhiman Tamang and Central Committee Member and House of Representatives member Khusbu Oli were also present in the meeting.
