First draft of Nepal constitution to be presented in Parliament

Kathmandu: In a major breakthrough, Nepal's Drafting Committee has endorsed the first draft of the long- pending constitution, which if promulgated would recognise the country as "secular, inclusive and multi-ethnic" for the first time. Later on Monday, the draft will be presented to the full 601- member Constituent Assembly (CA) for deliberation that was prepared on the basis of the 16-point agreement reached by Nepal's warring political parties.

The four major parties representing more than 90 per cent seats of the CA had reached the landmark agreement on June 8 in the wake of the April 25 earthquake that caused widespread devastation following.

The CA had given the Committee 15 days to prepare and submit the draft of the new constitution and it seems to have adhered to the deadline. Nepal will be called a secular, inclusive and multi- ethnic country as per the provisions of the new constitution. It used to be the only constitutionally declared Hindu nation. The constitution has adopted the parliamentary system of governance where executive powers are vested on the Prime Minister, who will be elected from the Parliament through majority votes.

The political parties have agreed to adopt mixed electoral system in both the federal parliament as well as the state assemblies with 60 per cent to be elected through direct voting or first-past-the-post system and 40 per cent through proportional representation system.

The federal parliament will have 275 members of which 165 will be elected through direct voting and the remaining 110 will be elected through proportionate voting. Multi-party democracy based on pluralistic principle has been termed as non-amendable provision in the constitution.

Other normal provisions of the constitution can be amended through two-thirds majority votes, as per the provision of the new constitution. The constitution has adopted the principle of secularism with religion freedom.

Under the provision of the new constitution, citizenship can be acquired in the name of either father or mother. As per the form of governance is concerned, the new constitution has adopted the principles of pluralistic multi-party competitive democracy with federal democratic republican parliamentary system.

The president will be elected through an electoral college consisting of members of the federal parliament and state assemblies and to become victorious, one has to secure more than 50 per cent votes. There will be a bicameral parliament at the centre while the state assembly will be unicameral.

The draft constitution will be presented in the CA today for genuine discussion on unsettled issues, Nepali Congress general secretary and Constitution Drafting Committee Chairman Krishna Sitaula told reporters.