Task Force Reviews Proposals for Constitutional Amendment in Nepal

Kathmandu. The second meeting of the 'Task Force for Preparing the Constitutional Amendment Discussion Paper-2082' held on Thursday conducted a preliminary discussion on the suggestions submitted by the Rastriya Janamorcha (RJM) and the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP).

Manoj Bhatta, General Secretary of the RJM and a member of the task force, stated that the meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers focused on the written submissions provided by the two parties.

The task force, coordinated by Aseem Shah, political advisor to Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah, had requested written suggestions from political parties within one week during its inaugural meeting. However, only two parties have submitted their proposals so far.

The task force includes members representing various political parties, including Mohan Acharya (Rastriya Swatantra Party), Dr. Bhishma Adhikari (CPN-UML), Dev Prasad Gurung (Nepal Communist Party), Gyanendra Shahi (Rastriya Prajatantra Party), Manoj Bhatta (Rastriya Janamorcha), Dhruvaraj Rai (Shram Sanskriti Party), Surendra Kumar Jha (Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal), and Aabhash Labh (LSP).

Bhatta noted that the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) provided only a verbal briefing instead of a written submission during Thursday's meeting.

'They (RSP) gave a general verbal briefing. Their proposal advocates for a directly elected executive, a fully proportional electoral system, and a provision barring members of parliament from becoming ministers,' Bhatta told Ratopati. 'The RSP has reiterated the points from its election manifesto.'

Members of the task force reported that concerns were raised regarding the current approach to the constitutional amendment process. 'The task force is not responsible for drafting the amendment, but only for providing suggestions. The Ministry of Law is responsible for drafting the amendment,' said RJM General Secretary Bhatta. 'There is no clear agenda, and the task force is currently only debating its own procedures.'

Bhatta also mentioned that the Nepali Congress did not send a representative to the second meeting. The party has maintained that it will only participate once the amendment agenda is finalized. However, the task force has yet to establish a concrete agenda. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which attended the first meeting, was also absent from the second.

The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the task force were presented during the meeting, which outlines a 60-day timeline to prepare the amendment proposal and mandates consultations with 28 stakeholder groups.

Task force member and CPN-UML leader Dr. Adhikari stated that while the modality of the amendment draft was discussed, no concrete decisions were made. Dev Prasad Gurung, a member of the task force and leader of the Nepal Communist Party, noted that the meeting focused on reviewing the suggestions from the two parties and coordinating with others to submit their inputs. 'We discussed the submission of pending proposals and held a briefing on the procedures and jurisdiction of the task force,' Gurung told Ratopati.

What is in the Janamorcha's amendment proposal?

The RJM has submitted a written proposal containing 89 points for constitutional amendment, which includes a demand for the abolition of the provincial structure.