Nepali PM presents concept paper on future constitution
March 25th, 2009 - 2:36 pm ICT by IANSKathmandu, March 25 (Xinhua) Nepali Prime Minister Prachanda Wednesday presented a concept paper on the future constitution of the country.
The ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (UCPN-M), which has prepared it, has proposed an executive president at the centre and governors and chief ministers in the states, the National News Agency RSS reported. The paper was given to the Constitution Committee of the Constituent Assembly.
According to the news agency RSS, Prachanda said the UCPN-M has embraced multi-party democracy, rule of law, people’s supremacy, fundamental rights, press freedom, human rights and federalism as the basic fundamentals of the constitution and it was not a strategy or a tactic of the party but an ideology and political commitment.
He clarified that the UCPN-M joined the peace process for a forward state restructuring by embracing the 21st century people’s republic.
He said the future constitution must eliminate feudalism and expansionism and guarantee national integrity, unity and sovereignty. He added that the party will not tolerate any kind of totalitarianism.
He warned that the country could face a difficult situation if the statute was not drafted on time and said the government was committed to take the peace process and constitution-writing to a logical conclusion.
In the concept note presented by the UCPN-M on the future constitution, the party has sought state guarantee for education, employment and social security, free education up to secondary level, unemployment allowance, no ban on publication and right to property.
The party has proposed a mixed election system, bicameral legislature, provision for emergency, provision for referendum, arrangement of a commission on inclusion and formation of a national army by integrating the UCPN-M’s People’s Liberation Army and the Nepal Army.
The concept paper proposes three tiers of judiciary and people’ s courts and mediation centres at the local level. The party also proposes direct election of president and implementation of revolutionary land reform, punishment for violence against women and ban on expulsion of citizens.
Prachanda said the concept note was not a rigid document and it could be amended after discussion.
- Nepal's Maoists finalize proposal for consensus - Jul 10, 2010
- Over 6,000 Maoists 'retire' in Nepal - Apr 20, 2012
- Nepal parties reach power sharing deal - May 03, 2012
- PLA regrouping process begins in Nepal - Nov 19, 2011
- Nepal parties seek more time to settle statute row - Apr 23, 2012
- Nepalese PM struck secret deal with Prachanda before resigning - Jul 05, 2010
- 'Peace deal may collapse if UN leaves Nepal' - Jan 06, 2011
- U.S. gov't refuses to take Maoist party off terrorism lists despite election win - Aug 30, 2011
- Conflict between parties delaying Nepal's cabinet expansion: Experts - Feb 14, 2011
- UN mission in Nepal offers 60-week time plan for integration of UCPN-M combatants - Jul 09, 2010
- Nepali Speaker urged to help end "meaningless" PM election - Sep 24, 2010
- Nepal gets a new cabinet - May 06, 2012
- Nepal's Maoist chief urges war on India - Nov 24, 2010
- Maoists set to build a new political mainstream in Nepal: Prachanda - Sep 18, 2010
- Peace process in Nepal has stagnated: UN - Jul 25, 2009
Tags: bicameral legislature, chief ministers, communist party of nepal, communist party of nepal maoist, constituent assembly, constitution committee, employment and social security, executive president, expansionism, liberation army, logical conclusion, national army, national integrity, national news agency, party democracy, peace process, political commitment, prachanda, press freedom, state guarantee