Senior leaders of major political parties have agreed that Nepal should adopt a unique model of federalism that binds its people together. At a programme organised by Society for Constitutional and Parliamentary Exercise in the capital on Wednesday, leaders of Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (UML), United CPN (Maoists) and Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) said that federalism and constitution should be appropriate to the society and geography of Nepal.

Ex-prime minister and president of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala (2nd from left) puts forth his opinion during an interaction programme on the view of political parties on the new constitution, Wednesday, Feb 04 09. Madhav Kumar Nepal-CPN-UML, Dinanath Sharma-CPN (United Maoists), Surya Bahadur Thapa-RJP and other politicians also spoke at the programme. nepalnews.com/NPA

Ex-prime minister and president of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala (2nd…
President of NC and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said national integrity and national unity should be the key factors of federalism and that it should touch the lives of people and bind them together. “Nepalese federalism should adopt the model of proportional representation at the centre and decentralisation of power,” he said.

Stressing on the need of democracy as basis of constitution Koirala added, “The constitution should address democratic values, human rights, freedom of press and individual liberty.”

Chairman of the Constitutional Committee and senior leader of the CPN (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal said that he had proposed 17 points including supremacy of constitution, rule of law, human rights, press freedom, secular state, and federalism, among others for the new constitution. “All political parties parties should agree on those fundamental points,” he said.

Stressing that Nepal’s constitution should be unique, spokesperson of United CPN (Maoists) Dina Nath Sharma said that his party was willing to accept multiparty democracy, periodic elections and independent judiciary as the fundamentals of the new constitution.

Chairman of Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) Surya Bahadur Thapa suggested that the country’s geographical situation should be considered while developing a new political system. Direct election of an executive prime minister or president in a country like Nepal is impossible, he said.

Accusing the ruling parties of engrossing in strengthening their parties rather than focusing on constitution drafting, Thapa expressed skepticism about the timely completion of the constitution. nepalnews.com ta Feb 05 09