All party meet on women reservation

Kohima, Oct 4 (UNI) The all-party meeting to discuss the 108th (Amendment) Act, 2008 (Women Reservation Bill) on 33 per cent reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state Assemblies, convened by Nagaland Assembly Speaker Kiyanilie Peseyie yesterday, has sought more time.

According to official sources here today the meeting was held at the Nagaland Assembly Secretariat Hall and was attended by the representatives of Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF), Congress, BJP, NCP, JD(U), RJD and Independent legislators. They came to the conclusion that the "the matter is very sensitive and required more time for further discussion" and decided to take it up in the last part of November.

The members suggested that more time be given in order to get public feed-back and opinions of civil societies and NGOs.

The Union Government had written to various states seeking their opinion on the issue.

The meeting was convened as the chief minister had requested the Speaker to convene it to implement the Women Reservation Bill in the Municipal and Town Council elections on the floor of the Assembly on September 11. The first experiment failed when male members of the Mokokchung Municipal Council opposed the implementation and the state government had to cancel the election scheduled on October ten.

UNI AS PL RD 1212