Sunday, June 18, 2006

Rameshwor Shah: Inclusive Constituent Assembly


Inclusive Constituent Assembly

Election Process

Rameshwor Shah

Country Population: 2,50,00,000

Total Voters (60%): 1,50,00,000

Electoral College: 15000

(1Member per 1000 Voters on VDC basis. On more than 50% remains of VDC

1Member to be added. A VDC with less than 500 voter would be attached to an

Adjoining VDC)

Total Elected Constituent Assembly Member: - 250

(1 Member per 1,00,000 Population / 60 Electoral College Member on district basis. On

More than 50% remains 1 Member to be added. A district with less than 50,000

Population would be attached to an Adjoining District)

Reservation

Indigenous Community: - 41Members (Population – 82,67,000 / 34.63%)

a. Mountain: - 64,27,000 (26.63%); Estimated No. Of Member: - 64

Reservation: - 32 (50% of Actual Estimated No.)

b. Madhesh: - 18,40,000 (8%); Estimated No. Of Member: - 18

Reservation: -9 (50% of Actual Estimated No. Of Member)

Dalit Community: -12 Members (Population-21, 58,000 / 8.92%)

a. Mountain: - 12,66,000 (5.47%); Estimated No. Of Member: - 13

Reservation: - 7 Members (50% Of Actual Estimated No. Of Member)

b. Madhesh: - 8,92,000 (3.45%); Estimated No. Of Member: - 9

Reservation: - 5 Members (50% Of Actual Estimated No. Of Member)

Women: - 1,25,00,000 (50%); Actual Estimated No. Of Member: - 125

Reservation: - 62 Members (50% Of Actual Estimated No. Of Member)

Indigenous Women: - 21 Membebers (34.63%)

a. Mountain Indigenous Community: - 16 (26.6%)

b. Madhesh Indigenous Community: -5 (8%)

Dalit Women: - 5 (8.92%)

a. Mountain Dalit: -3 (5.47%)

b. Madhesh Dalit: -2 (3.45%)

Other Women: - 36

a. Mountain: - 24 (67%)

b. Madhesh: - 12 (33%)

Minority Religious Community: -5

Civil Society: -5

(Political Party would fill Reserved Seats in proportion to their voting strength. Election Commission would determine and allocate number of reserved seats to Political Party)

Total No. Of Constituent Assembly Members: - 375

Elected by Electoral College: - 250

Nominated by Political Party: - 125

Proposed Republican Constitution 2006
Constituent Assembly: 300 Seats Of Roughly Equal Population

My critique of the proposal above:

I think this is a great framework that should be subjected to a wide discussion.

Population is 27 million, not 25.

I am not too excited about the electoral college idea. Elections should be direct.

I like the one elected member for each 100,000 Nepali formula.

I am excited about the provision for reservations. Without that we will just be repeating the mistakes of the 1990s.

I really like the ample use of numbers, of facts and figures.

Are Dalits 9% of the country or 20%?

I like the breakdown of women into the various groups, otherwise Pahadi Bahun urban women will end up taking up all the seats for women. The 33% reservation that has been secured for women should be distributed among the various groups.

My biggest disagreement is political parties getting to nominate members.

They have indirect elections for president in America. That is NOT good. They have party lists in Israel. That is NOT good either. We should have direct elections.

Have one seat for each 100,000 people. Divide the country into 270 constituencies. Have reserved seats. And let the voters decide. That is where I stand.

There are reservations for Janajati, for Dalit, for women, but none for Madhesi. Why is that? Coming from the president of the Madhesi Civil Society! Just like women have reservations, so should the Madhesi.

Are Madhesis only 33% of the population? That just is not true.

ँमधेसी समाधान राष्ट्रियस्तरबाटै’

कास

काठमाडौं, असार ३ - मधेसीका सामाजिक, सांस्कृतिक, शैक्षिक, भाषिक र राजनीतिकलगायत समस्याको समाधान राष्ट्रियस्तरबाटै हुनुपर्ने त्यस क्षेत्रका बुद्धिजीवी, सञ्चारकर्मी तथा राजनीतिज्ञहरूले अडान राखेका छन् ।

शासन पद्धतिमा 'रबर स्टाम्प' का रूपमा एकदुई मधेसीलाई मात्रै प्रतिनिधित्व गराएर समस्या समाधान नहुने जनाउँदै प्रत्येक सरकारी संयन्त्र र निकायमा समानुपातिक सहभागिता गराउनुपर्ने औंल्याए ।

मधेस जागरण अभियानद्वारा शनिबार बार एसोसिएसनमा आयोजित गोष्ठीका अधिकांश वक्ताले पटक- पटक संवैधानिक परिवर्तन मात्रै भएकाले अब त्यसो नगर्न चेतावनी दिँदै भावी नेपालमा मधेसीको अधिकार कुण्ठित गरिए सशक्त प्रतिकार गर्ने बताए । गोष्ठीमा प्रस्तुत भोगेन्द्र र गोपाल ठाकुरको कार्यपत्रमा मिथिला, सिम्रौनगढ, लुम्बिनी, किराँतलगायत आठ भाषिक र जातीय गणराज्यको प्रस्ताव गरिएको छ ।

त्यस्तै कीर्तिपुरको 'मधेसीका सवालहरू' कार्यशालामा पूर्वमन्त्री तथा मधेसी जनअधिकार फोरमका महासचिव जयप्रकाशप्रसाद गुप्ताले कार्यपत्र प्रस्तुत गर्दै मधेसका सवालमा राज्यपक्षको अछुत व्यवहार तत्काल अन्त्य हुनुपर्ने बताए । डा. कृष्ण खनालले मधेसी सवाललाई संविधानसभाको बार्गेनिङ विन्दुका रूपमा व्याख्या गर्दा सन्तोषजनक प्रतिक्रिया नआउने बताए । हरि रोक्काले मधेसी समुदायलाई भावी नेपालमा उनीहरूलाई समेट्नैपर्ने औंल्याए । कीर्तिपुरकै अर्को कार्यशालामा फोरम अध्यक्ष उपेन्द्र यादवले नागरिकताको सवाल शीर्षक कार्यपत्र प्रस्तुत गरे ।

June 17 Madhesi Gathering In New York City
Prachanda In Kathmandu: Photos

In The News

Court gives clean chit to former minister Khadka, others NepalNews
Government releases two former ministers
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