Nepal seeks to be a democratic federation

Kathmandu, Feb 5 (ANI): Senior leaders of the major political parties have agreed that Nepal should adopt a unique model of federalism that binds its people together.

During a programme organised by the Society for Constitutional and Parliamentary Exercise here on Wenesday, leaders of the Nepali Congress (NC), the CPN (UML), the Maoists and the Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) said that federalism and constitution should be appropriate to the society and geography of Nepal.

Nepalnews quoted Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala said national integrity and national unity should be the key factors of federalism and that it should touch the lives of people and bind them together.

"Nepalese federalism should adopt the model of proportional representation at the centre and decentralisation of power," he added.

Stressing on the need for democracy as basis of theconstitution Koirala added, "The constitution should address democratic values, human rights, freedom of press and individual liberty."

He also stressed on the need of democracy as basis of constitution.

"The constitution should address democratic values, human rights, freedom of press and individual liberty," he said

He further highlighted that the political parties should move ahead with consensus for drafting the new Constitution and reiterated the stance that his party will not compromise with anybody that the to-be-drafted constitution should be democratic.

Chairman of the Constitutional Committee and senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal said that he had proposed 17 points including supremacy of constitution, rule of law, human rights, press freedom, secular state, and federalism, among others for the new constitution.

"All political parties should agree on those fundamental points," he added.

Maoist spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma said that his party was willing to accept multiparty democracy, periodic elections and independent judiciary as the fundamentals of the new constitution. (ANI)