signature campaign to create pressure for identity-based federalism
Around 300 Janajati and Madhesi lawmakers belonging to the UCPN
(Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Madhes-based parties and smaller
parties in the Constituent Assembly have demanded that the country be
federated as suggested by the State Restructuring Commission majority or
the CA State Restructuring Committee.
The CA members on Friday launched a signature campaign to create
pressure for identity-based federalism. According to Sadbhawana Party
Co-chairman Laxman Lal Karna, both the Madhesi and Janjati lawmakers
would like to ensure a two-thirds support for settling contentious
issues of constitution-writing, especially to ensure identity-based
federation. "We are preparing to hand over the signatures to the Dispute
Resolution Subcommittee headed by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Speaker Subas
Nembang," Karna said.
UML lawmaker Prithivi Subba Gurung, who heads the Adibasi Janajati caucus in parliament, said the country should be federated on the basis of either the 14-state model suggested by the CA's thematic committee or the 10-province model suggested by a majority of SRC members. "The federal set-up should ensure identity. And the issue of naming and delineation of states should be settled before constitution promulgation," he said.
According to Gurung, 192 lawmakers have signed the memorandum, which will be submitted to top political leaders and the CA chairman on Saturday.
Madhesi and Janajati lawmakers have been opposing the 11-state model agreed among the three largest parties on Tuesday, claiming that the proposal was anti-federal and that it diluted the agenda of identity. Both the groups have prioritised identity-based federalism and creation of a maximum of two provinces in the southern plains.
According to Karna, the Madhesi lawmakers are in favour of the SRC's 10-state model. He informed that the Janjati lawmakers suggested endorsing the CA committee's 14-state proposal. He said that Madhesi parties were open to the suggestion.
A meeting of the Madhesi and Janajati lawmakers on Friday also demanded that representation in state organs, including parliament, be based on population. The meeting also demanded that the idea of priority, among others, should be ensured for the "suppressed” communities.
Meanwhile, the Loktantrik Madhesi Sangathan of the CPN-UML has demanded that a maximum of two provinces be carved out in the Tarai.
The CA members on Friday launched a signature campaign to create
pressure for identity-based federalism. According to Sadbhawana Party
Co-chairman Laxman Lal Karna, both the Madhesi and Janjati lawmakers
would like to ensure a two-thirds support for settling contentious
issues of constitution-writing, especially to ensure identity-based
federation. "We are preparing to hand over the signatures to the Dispute
Resolution Subcommittee headed by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Speaker Subas
Nembang," Karna said.UML lawmaker Prithivi Subba Gurung, who heads the Adibasi Janajati caucus in parliament, said the country should be federated on the basis of either the 14-state model suggested by the CA's thematic committee or the 10-province model suggested by a majority of SRC members. "The federal set-up should ensure identity. And the issue of naming and delineation of states should be settled before constitution promulgation," he said.
According to Gurung, 192 lawmakers have signed the memorandum, which will be submitted to top political leaders and the CA chairman on Saturday.
Madhesi and Janajati lawmakers have been opposing the 11-state model agreed among the three largest parties on Tuesday, claiming that the proposal was anti-federal and that it diluted the agenda of identity. Both the groups have prioritised identity-based federalism and creation of a maximum of two provinces in the southern plains.
According to Karna, the Madhesi lawmakers are in favour of the SRC's 10-state model. He informed that the Janjati lawmakers suggested endorsing the CA committee's 14-state proposal. He said that Madhesi parties were open to the suggestion.
A meeting of the Madhesi and Janajati lawmakers on Friday also demanded that representation in state organs, including parliament, be based on population. The meeting also demanded that the idea of priority, among others, should be ensured for the "suppressed” communities.
Meanwhile, the Loktantrik Madhesi Sangathan of the CPN-UML has demanded that a maximum of two provinces be carved out in the Tarai.
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