Nepal population debate on Future of Nation at FES seminar
This district has 50,000 population and 32,000 voters. Over one hundred thirty participants came from government circles, NGOs, political parties, civil society, students, teachers and people's institutions.
They were concerned not only about their local problems but also expressed concern about the delay in drafting the constitution of the nation, contradictory statements being made by various leaders about the integration of CPN (Maoist) combatants into the National Army, lack of consensus on the concept of federalism, weakness of the national leaders in addressing the question of transitional justice and many other post-conflict issues.
Ethnic people attending the program demanded the inclusion of the rights of various categories of people, such as indigenous group, Dalits, Women and minorities, in the new constitution to be drafted.
They also demanded proportional representation of diverse people in the district and central committee of national political parties.
One blind participant Prativa Lama suggested that pejorative words about disabled should not be included in the new constitution, appropriate laws should be formulated for Nepalese women workers in Gulf and women's access to decision-making should be ensured. Purba Tamang questioned as to whether the qualification of politicians at the national level be determined. He was also suggesting about financial transparency of political parties and their leaders. Devi Kala, Baburam Shrestha and Jayanti Ranabhat discussed about the ways to insert democratic values in the constitution. Bulk of participants furnished a number of suggestions, such as disseminate the constitutional debate in villages, capacity building of women and illiterate, linkage building with national NGOs and INGOs, strengthening state-society relations and performance of governance in resolving multihued conflicts.
Three paper writers—Kashi Raj Dahal, Chandra Dev Bhatta and Dev Raj Dahal respectively presented their papers on state-building, constitutional questions and principles of democracy. Speaking from Chair Chief Justice of Rasuwa Rishi Prasad Adhikari said, "We are defining our future. What is challenging for us is how we can make our future peaceful, prosperous and coherent out of so many social, economic, cultural and political diversity."
The seminar was organized by
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