Kathmandu, July 20, 2015: Suggestions have come pouring in on the initial draft from the public in the Kathmandu Municipality, Ward No 9. Of them, determining ‘diploma level’ as the basic academic qualification for the Constituent Assembly (CA) members in the new constitution stood as the most prominent one.
Under the Public Feedback Collection Programme launched by the Public Relations and Constitution Suggestions Committee of the CA across the country for today and tomorrow, youths gathered at Tinkune, Kuleshower have voiced their various suggestions on the preliminary draft of the new constitution.
They were of the opinion that if the government had determined grade 10 graduation as the minimum qualification for driver license, it should also determine a basic academic qualification for the lawmakers
Prahlad Giri, one such youth, argued that the government should fix a new academic criteria for lawmakers.
Speaking at the programme, local keshav Pokharel suggested that the initial draft should be amended at the earliest concerning the qualification of the Head of the State i.e. the President.
Other participants, whereas advised the lawmakers to make provisions for ‘threshold’ in election to form a national political party and to elect CA members through the Proportional Representation.
Dhrubachandra Gautam, another participant, pointed that the need to incorporate the provision of ‘threshold’ according to which a political party or an electoral candidate needs to secure at least three to five percent of vote to form a stable government in the country.
He argued that in lack of ‘threshold’, political parties would continue to mushroom in the country, leading to the failure of forming a stable government.
In light of the economical burden to the country, participants have also offered suggestions to reduce the number of lawmakers in the Constituent Assembly as against the proposed more than 900 lawmakers at the Central level to the local.
Speaking on the issues of the senior citizens, Dilli Bahadur Karki suggested to incorporate the issues of social security for the senior citizens under the fundamental rights.
Participants have also urged the lawmakers to mull over providing the Non-Residents Nepalis (NRN) a separate identity card rather than dual citizenship as mentioned in the initial draft.
“The constitution should be written in the simplest language for the layman to read and understand,” said Muktinath Shrestha.
As far as secularism is concerned, a majority of the participants have advised to replace the connotation of a religion-free State while some public have pressed for the mention of ‘Sanatan Hindu State’ in the constitution.
Some too suggested that the number of proposed federal states should be reduced to five from eight whereas public have also recommended to form Agriculture Development Commission, Youth Commission and avail education and health services to the public for free.
Welcoming the suggestions furnished by the public, Nepali Congress lawmaker Dhyan Govinda Ranjit, CPN (UML) lawmaker Astalaxmi Shakya, Samajwadi Janata Party lawmaker Prama Bahadur Singh among others pledged that they will work their level best to finalise the draft of new constitution as per their recommendations.
Source: RSS
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