By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel Political instability is nothing new to this part of the world. People have been accustomed to frequent change of guard. They are now fed up with political instability and take it as a usual business. Every time there is a change of guard, the coalition partners tell us the reason behind the move. This time, the coalition government of Nepali Congress and UML has vowed to amend the constitution. Well, there is no harm in amending the conflicting provisions in the constitution, if there are any. Well, this is not the first time the voice for a constitutional amendment is gaining currency. Right after the constitution's promulgation in 2015, some Tarai-based parties allegedly under the instruction of some external forces demanded the amendment of the constitution saying it has nothing to offer to Madhesi communities. However, now they have realized that it was stupidity to put forth such demands. Any process of constitutional change is very delicate and fragile. It can turn extremely fractious and potentially trigger a massive protest across the country. In short, it could push the country to an era of bandhs with frequent strikes paralyzing the nation. The opposition parties, mainly the Maoist Centre, led by former Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal could play the spoilsport. Following the withdrawal of the UML's support to his government, Dahal is seeking an opportunity to sabotage Oli’a commitment to amend the constitution. He would violently protest any possible dialogue to amend the constitution. We cannot rule out the possibilities altogether given the character of our political leaders. There is a saying that smoke does not rise without fire. In other words, even the rumours can hold a grain of truth. The recent alliance between the NC and UML is hell-bent on confirming this suspicion. However, with Maoists in the opposition, the amendment of the constitution will not be as easy a task as it looks. If the seven-point accord of the UML and NC is taken into consideration, the primary task of the present coalition government is to amend the constitution. A leader involved in the negotiation stated that the two parties plan to amend several provisions in phases starting with the changes to the electoral system followed by other issues. This calls for broader consensus among the major parties that supported the 2015 constitution drafting process. As a result, the NC and UML are focusing on a national unity government. What astonishes one is the fact that some leaders of the Tarai-based parties and Tharuhat-centric party representing in the parliament are blindly supporting this NC-UML agreement. The sudden talk of the constitution amendment is very surprising and people need to take it with a pinch of salt to digest it. If media reports are any guide, the UML and Congress were desperately seeking an opportunity to oust the Dahal-led government supported by the Rastriya Swatantra Party under the leadership of media person turned politician, Rabi Lamichhane. It is generally believed that Lamichhane was leaving no stone unturned to expose those involved in the Giri Bandhu Tea Estate scam which could put many present politicians behind bars. There is also news that the UML wants to increase the threshold to ten percent from the existing 3 percent. This clearly indicates the two major parties' attempt to force a two-party system on the country. Their actions aim to prevent the emergence of small and new parties, believing it will ensure stable governance and maintain their grip on power. However, a more realistic possibility is that this could push the country into a state of anarchy due to rising dissatisfaction, anger and conflict. This is not to say that our constitution is errorless. It is not. But one must understand that no constitution in the world is a one-size-fits-all document. Rather, it is a progressive document and will evolve over time.  It should be seen as a dynamic and living. Even the constitution of the present largest democracy, India, has been amended several times. Likewise, the American Constitution since it was ratified has been amended 27 times. The idea put forth by NC and UML is dangerous as it could open a Pandora's Box. There are talks of ending federalism blaming it for legitimizing the corruption at the local level. There are even talks about the return of the monarchy. It is also possible that this claim of NC and UML backfires because the essence of the agreement is something else. While leading the coalition government, Prime Minister Oli said that the primary task, among others, of his government is to amend the constitution. One must view his claim with scepticism. According to media reports, Oli withdrew its support to Dahal and joined hands with Sher Bahadur Deuba for amending the constitution. Now, the onus lies on him to tell the people whether he seriously intended to do so or to oust Dahal under the pretext of constitution amendment. We hope we will get the answer very shortly. Leaders of all political parties should engage in healthy politics. They should not resort to tactics to grab power and fool the people in the name of constitution amendment. This is unjustifiable.