New map of Nepal also to be adopted by the National Assembly, the upper house of parliament
Kathmandu:
The lower house of the Nepalese parliament today approved a new map of the country, including disputed areas with India, said the president of the national legislature. This decision marks a hardening of Nepal’s position on a border line of several decades which strained the ties between the two neighbors.
India rejected the new map of Nepal, calling it a “unilateral act” which is not based on historical facts or evidence.
Nepal released its revised map in May after India opened an 80-kilometer road from Uttarakhand to Lipulekh on the border with Tibet, which crosses land it claims Nepal owns.
The map shows a ribbon of land at the northwestern tip of Nepal as Nepalese territory.
Agni Prasad Sapkota, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal, said the new card had been approved by 258 of the 275 members of parliament, exceeding the required two-thirds majority. There were no votes against.
The card must also be adopted by the National Assembly, the upper house of parliament, and approved by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari before it becomes part of the constitution.
Prachanda, former prime minister and leader of the ruling Nepalese Communist Party, said that Nepal does not want to complicate matters and is seeking a peaceful settlement.
“We want to resolve the problem with India through peaceful political and diplomatic talks,” Prachanda, the former Maoist leader, who still relies on his nom de guerre, told parliament on Saturday.
