Opp parties start talking about the agenda for constitutional amendments

Opposition parties such as the CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) have started talks to establish their stance on the constitutional revisions in the midst of the ruling parties’ plans to propose some changes.

To establish their stance on important constitutional amendment initiatives, top Maoist Center and Unified Socialist leaders have stepped up their meetings. Following a meeting between Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal and Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Singha Durbar on Thursday to discuss the issue, the formal discussion got underway.

Given that the government has stated its desire to modify the constitution, opposition groups have started debating the topic for a significant constitutional amendment, according to Maoist Center General Secretary Dev Gurung. The Maoist Center and Unified Socialist met a few days after the Maoist Center decided to put forward three main agenda items for the constitutional change at its Central Committee meeting.

A truly proportional election system, the appointment of ministers from outside the parliament, and the introduction of a directly elected executive president or executive chief are all proposed by the Maoist Center. They will offer alternatives to the government’s plans for constitutional amendments, General Secretary Gurung stated.

A seven-point agreement was struck earlier on July 2, 2024, between the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML, with constitutional amendment included as one of the main agenda items for what they claimed was political stability in the nation. According to the Maoist Center, political stability in the nation requires a directly elected executive head who serves as leader for five years.

A fully proportional electoral system has been suggested by the Maoist Center as a way to lower election expenses. According to the party, the clause allowing for the appointment of ministers from outside the parliament would guarantee that parliamentarians concentrate on legislation rather than competing for ministerial posts.

Top Maoist Center and Unified Socialist officials have also spoken with Upendra Yadav’s Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal. In order to advance their goals in the constitutional revisions, the parties have chosen to resurrect the Socialist Front.

According to Maoist officials, the Socialist Front’s January 15 conference is anticipated to cover their shared goal for amending the constitution in detail.

On January 4, a Constitution Amendment Suggestion Task Force was established by the Unified Socialists. Garima Shah, Ganesh BK, Baldev Chaudhary, Ramchandra Yadav, Ghanaprasad Gautam, and Rajan Rai are members of the Task Force, which is chaired by Vice-Chairman Prakash Jwala. The task force would coordinate with opposition parties and other stakeholders, according to the leaders.

In a similar vein, a task force for constitutional modification was established by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The RSP established the task team under the leadership of Chief Whip Santosh Pariyar on January 5 during its Central Committee meeting. Kantishikha Dhital, Ganesh Karki, Sobita Gautam, Asim Shah, Dr. Toshima Karki, Dr. Achyutam Lamichhane, and Megh Ale are among the members of the task force.